Five Emirati athletes have opened a new discussion series in Dubai focused on women’s participation, elite competition and careers in sport.
The first Women in Sport session was held at Middlesex University Dubai’s Knowledge Park campus, with athletes from athletics, swimming, snowboarding, weightlifting and mixed martial arts.
The three-part series is being run by the university’s London Sport Institute in Dubai and will cover the experiences of female athletes, women’s health and career opportunities in the sports industry.
Emirati weightlifter Amna Al Haddad moderated the opening discussion, titled We Emerge Stronger and Better: Identity, Heritage & the Next Generation.
She was joined by Maryam Alfarsi, who competed in the 100 metres at the Paris 2024 Olympics aged 16, UAE snowboarder Amenah Almuhairi, professional MMA fighter Zamzam Al Hammadi and Olympic swimmer Maha Al Shehhi.
Al Hammadi became the UAE’s first female professional MMA fighter and competes in PFL MENA, while Almuhairi has represented the country at the Asian Winter Games and Youth Olympic Games.
The athletes spoke about the demands of competing internationally, including training, funding and sponsorship, as well as the pressure of representing the Emirates on the international stage.
For Almuhairi, the discussion also touched on balancing education with elite sport. She is a student at the London Sport Institute in Dubai and has been able to fit her studies around her snowboarding training and competition schedule.
Alfarsi used the session to encourage more girls to see sport as an option.
“Events like this are important because they give women athletes greater visibility, create stronger support networks and show young girls that sport is a path they can genuinely pursue,” Alfarsi said.
“My advice to young girls is to believe in themselves, stay consistent and never be afraid to take up space in sport. There is a place for you, and your ambitions are worth pursuing.”
Al Shehhi, who also represented the UAE at Paris 2024, pointed to the increase in training and competition opportunities available to Emirati women.
“Equal opportunity in sport means every athlete gets a fair chance to shine,” she said.
“Over recent years, the rise in training opportunities and elite competition for Emirati women has transformed what is possible, inspiring us to aim higher, compete globally and carry the UAE flag with pride.”
Two further sessions are planned in the coming months.
Women’s Health: Training Through Every Life Stage will look at exercise and wellbeing at different stages of life. Breaking Into the Game: Women’s Careers On and Off the Field will focus on employment opportunities across sport beyond competing as an athlete.
The London Sport Institute in Dubai is part of Middlesex University Dubai and offers sport science programmes from foundation to postgraduate level.
