We profile some of the women recently hired by the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (Fanr), which is increasing its recruitment of Emirati staff.
Today, 61 per cent of the authority’s staff is Emirati compared to 48 per cent six years ago. More than half of them are women.
Although 36 of the 80 jobs held by Emiratis in the authority’s operations division belong to women, the hope is to increase that number further.
Fatima Al Muhairi: the nuclear industry was initially considered an unconventional choice for women
“My family was scared at first because they wanted to know if it was safe and secure,” said the 23-year-old, originally from Abu Dhabi. “They wanted to know if it was OK for a woman to work here. But I explained to them that it was, I am not the only woman here so they accepted it and they support me.”
“I think nuclear energy is the future, it’s interesting and something we have to learn because we might depend on it in the future,” the mechanical engineer from Khalifa University, said.
Amal Bin Lootah: national importance of the nuclear sector means more Emiratis are needed
“I went to South Korea as part of a youth ambassador programme which made me interested in the nuclear industry,” the 23-year-old civil engineer from Dubai, said.
“When you study it, you realise that nuclear is safe and you get more radiation when you travel on a plane. But people get scared.”
Huda Al Tamimi: every Emirati has a role to play
“We are here to serve our country,” said the 23-year-old mechanical engineer from Ras Al Khaimah.
“I got the chance so why not? Fanr has the vision that I am looking for, which is protecting the environment and people from radioactive material and the threat from any nuclear misuse. We’re still not operating but I’m very excited to be a part of it because it’s my role to clear up the messed up ideas about nuclear to the public.”
Amal Al Saleem: the most challenging part is the responsibility
“My goal was always to find a place for myself to be a part of the UAE’s development,” said the 24-year-old mechanical engineer from Abu Dhabi who interned at Airbus in Toulouse, France.
“I don’t want to be useless to the country and the nuclear industry will definitely be needing national engineers, which is what motivated me to join Fanr and the nuclear field.”
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