Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, addressed ADNOC’s Emirati Women’s Day event in Abu Dhabi through a speech delivered by Her Excellency Dr. Maitha bint Salem Al Shamsi, Minister of State. The event marked the 11th annual celebration of Emirati Women’s Day.
“Emirati Women’s Day this year coincides with The UAE Year of Community, which underscores the insightful vision of our wise leadership. They have established forward-looking policies aimed at enhancing women’s capabilities and skills and strengthening their role as key drivers of national progress,” said Her Highness.
She continued: “I am certain that the wise leadership trusts that women, equipped with knowledge, expertise, and experience, are fully capable of working alongside their male counterparts in building future generations. Emirati women are a cornerstone of our society, instilling strong values and noble morals in our youth while advancing the goals of the UAE’s sustainable development. This is the best investment women can make, one that deserves recognition and appreciation.”
Her Highness recognized Emirati women for balancing societal roles with economic participation. She also acknowledged ADNOC’s management under His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber for workplace policies supporting professional growth alongside family responsibilities.
Her Highness emphasized women’s central role in maintaining stable families as a national priority and expressed confidence in their ability to address challenges and adapt to global changes.
His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber stated: “Empowering women in the UAE is a deeply rooted approach established by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and continuously reinforced by our wise leadership and Her Highness Sheikha Fatima. Guided by this legacy, we are firmly committed to empowering Emirati women and equipping them with the skills and resources to excel, particularly in the fields of energy, advanced technology, and artificial intelligence, enabling them to take on key technical and leadership roles across the company. We will continue to invest in their growth and development, recognizing their vital role in delivering ADNOC’s ambition to be the world’s most AI-enabled energy company.”
The theme for this year’s celebration was “Hand in Hand.” At ADNOC’s event held at Abu Dhabi Energy Center, a panel titled “From Ambition to Achievement: Emirati Women Contribute to ADNOC’s Transformation in Artificial Intelligence” discussed how female employees are using AI tools within operations to improve performance.
Since 2016, ADNOC has doubled its female workforce representation across various functions including AI-related roles as well as engineering positions. Currently, women hold 26% of leadership roles at ADNOC and serve on boards at 20 group companies. There has also been a 20% increase in operational site roles held by women.
ADNOC recently graduated nearly 150 engineers from its AI Accelerators Program—over 40% were Emirati women—demonstrating efforts toward gender diversity within technical fields. The company received recognition from Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority with a “Parent-Friendly Label” for supportive family policies such as flexible work options introduced under its Energy for Wellbeing Strategy.
