#DrivenByWomen: Emirati Inventor Fatima Alkaabi "I am always driven by the idea that I can learn more, explore more, and contribute more to the world, and I think that curiosity is what got me so far."
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For Emirati Women's Day 2024, Entrepreneur Middle East and AW Rostamani Group's Arabian Automobiles Company, under the banner of #DrivenByWomen, are putting the spotlight on four female achievers from different walks of life in the UAE who, with their unique capabilities and contributions, are essentially driving the future of the nation.
Under the banner of #DrivenByWomen, these ladies will offer a peek into the precepts and principles that have guided their personal journeys to success; plus, by finding common ground between them and some of the finest automobiles under the banner of AW Rostamani Group's Arabian Automobiles Company, they will also seek to distill their own particular driving forces, and how they can be harnessed by other Emirati women wanting to follow in their footsteps.
In this installment of the #DrivenByWomen series, we meet Fatima Alkaabi, who was only 14 years old when H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, presented her with the title of the youngest Emirati inventor at the UAE Pioneers Award ceremony in 2015. Today, Alkaabi is a 22-year-old woman with 12 inventions to her name and a job as a network engineer, but the reason for her enterprising attitude remains the same now as it was then. "My driving force is curiosity," Alkaabi says. "I am always driven by the idea that I can learn more, explore more, and contribute more to the world, and I think that curiosity is what got me so far."
Fatima Alkaabi is pictured here with the Infiniti QX50, which effortlessly balances timeless design with innovative technology. Image courtesy: AW Rostamani/Entrepreneur Middle East
That said, Alkaabi is emphatic about the integral role that the UAE has played in her securing all of the laurels she has racked up. "Everything I've done has been influenced by the support that I got from my country and my government," she says. "So, I'm very grateful, because I won't be able to be here, academically or personally, without their support." Now, for all those Emirati girls and women out there wishing to follow in Alkaabi's footsteps when it comes to going after their goals, she has a singular— but significant—piece of advice to share with them. "Just trust yourself," she says. "Put yourself out there, and believe me, you'll figure it out someday, and you'll achieve what you want to achieve.
Keeping this in mind, when we asked AlKaabi to take us to a location in Dubai that is especially significant to her, it should perhaps come as no surprise then that she picked the Museum Of The Future, while riding her vehicle of choice, the Infiniti QX50. Commenting on why she picked the Infiniti QX50 for herself, Al Kaabi said, "I thought it was very simple yet classy, and that's the vibe that I'm personally go for! Plus, it fits my needs, and it looks chic, and so, I thought that it'd be perfect for me."
Watch the full video to check out the full trip, and the conversations we had with Alkaabi through it!
Related: #DrivenByWomen: AlDhabi AlMheiri, Founder, Rainbow Chimney
