ABU DHBAI, 31st August, 2026 (WAM) -- TRENDS Group organised a session titled We Emerge Stronger and Better: Emirati Women Shaping the Future, featuring Emirati astronaut Nora Al-Matrooshi. The session highlighted the achievements and aspirations of Emirati women and their growing role in shaping the future of the UAE, as part of the Group’s Emirati Women’s Day celebrations.
Rawdha Al-Marzooqi, Head of the Distribution and Exhibitions Sector at TRENDS Group, introduced the session, which was moderated by Warda Al-Menhali, Researcher and Head of the Organisational Communication Sector at TRENDS Group. The session explored Al-Matrooshi’s early aspirations, her exceptional journey, and the historic milestone she achieved in 2021 when she became the first Emirati and Arab woman to be selected for the second cohort of the UAE Astronaut Programme.
Opening the session, Dr. Mohamed Abdulla Al Ali, Chairman of TRENDS Group, said that Emirati Women’s Day is celebrated not merely as a symbolic occasion, but as an opportunity to reflect on a well-established national journey that embodies the values of Emirati society. Throughout this journey, Emirati women have proven themselves to be integral partners in nation-building, making a tangible impact in leadership, education, culture, and community service.
He stressed that, since its founding, the UAE has firmly believed that societal progress cannot be achieved without empowering women and strengthening their presence in positions of responsibility and decision-making. The UAE experience has therefore emerged as an outstanding model of women’s empowerment, one that preserves society’s identity and values while reinforcing the status of women and their significant role across various fields of national and humanitarian work.
Dr. Al Ali added that Emirati women have proven themselves to be active partners in shaping the present and building the future, and that their empowerment represents a successful investment in people, development, and the UAE’s bright future.
Emirati astronaut and mechanical engineer Nora Al-Matrooshi explained that her dream of becoming an astronaut began when she was five or six years old. In kindergarten, her teacher organised a simulation of the lunar surface, transforming the classroom into a moon-like environment. The children entered a rocket-shaped tent and then crawled through a cardboard tunnel as part of an unforgettable exploratory experience. The experience remained firmly etched in her memory, inspiring her to one day relive it and ultimately make it a reality.
Al-Matrooshi recalled that, while in high school, she watched a documentary about the launch of a Russian Soyuz rocket. She noticed that one of the astronauts was a mechanical engineer. This prompted her to explore different branches of engineering, and she found that mechanical engineering suited her interests because of its focus on physics and mathematics. She subsequently enrolled at United Arab Emirates University and aspired to join a NASA training programme, but the opportunity did not materialise after the programme was discontinued.
Al-Matrooshi urged every woman and girl to aspire to her dreams, set no limits on her ambitions, begin working toward them today through study and hard work, and not give up after an initial failure. A setback, she said, is simply a learning experience on the path to future success.
She also encouraged girls to make the most of the unwavering support provided by the UAE leadership, which opens doors and believes in women’s capabilities, stressing that everyone should strive and work hard to turn their dreams into reality.