Souad Al Shamsi… a shining sun in the world of Emirati aviation

Souad Al Shamsi..A shining sun in the world of Emirati aviation

In the next few days, the world will celebrate “International Women’s Day,” which falls on March 8th every year, during which the United Nations, UNICEF, and the entire world seek to highlight the role of women in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is an international day that the peoples of the world use to support strategies for empowering women everywhere, which makes it one of the steps to strengthen their rights – socially, economically and culturally – to ensure the implementation of the aspirations and hopes of all parts of society.

This year – 2024 – is the second year in a row, in which the Earth Guards participate in the celebration of International Women’s Day, by highlighting the achievements of prominent Egyptian and Arab women and pioneers – scientifically and practically – in their fields; Therefore, in the coming days, the magazine will accompany you through a journey – a series of articles on International Women’s Day – expressing honorable feminist models whose professional career has shone in the skies of Egypt and the Arab world, and this is through achievements that have inspired women of the whole world. So that empowering them will be a just way of life and a form of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

As for the heroine of this article, she is Dr. Engineer/ Souad Al Shamsi, “Director and Technical Advisor in Major Emirati Aviation Projects.” She is the first Emirati aeronautical engineer specializing in aircraft landing and take-off equipment, and thus she became the first in more than one field at the level of the Arab world. She began this tireless pursuit by obtaining a bachelor’s degree in aviation engineering management from Coventry University, then she obtained a higher diploma in aeronautical engineering from the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom, and in the same country she obtained a master’s degree in aviation management.

After these scientific successes, engineer Suad Al Shamsi became a doctorate in aviation management from the American Academy for Specialized Studies. With this unique academic standing, she became the first Emirati woman to be sent to the United Kingdom to study aeronautical engineering, and she returned from there loaded with ideas, experiences, and expertise to present to her Arab homeland, and at that time she qualified to join many international companies in the aviation sector.

At the national level, she rose to many positions within Emirati companies operating in the aviation sector, where she joined Emirates Airlines, as the first certified aircraft engineer, and there she was responsible for the wheel and brake workshop. During the course of 11 years, Dr. Engineer/Souad Al Shamsi continued to build her career with a spirit and ambitions that knew no bounds, until she now became a manager and technical advisor in the largest aviation projects in the UAE.

The confidence of Arab and international airlines in the competence of Dr. Engineer/ Souad Al Shamsi was not in vain, as she is an Emirati woman with many skills in international projects related to aviation and its engineering, as she helped to succeed in many aviation projects, such as designing and manufacturing a two-seat aircraft, in addition to her training that she completed in major airline companies, such as: Messer Bugatti, Honeywell,Airbus, Boeing.

In addition to her technical competence in aeronautical engineering, Dr. Eng. Souad Al Shamsi is a member of the Stars of Science jury, a permanent member of the James Dyson International Award, and a member of the Women in Aviation Award jury. And other fields of public work.

This career path full of unprecedented achievements was the reason for Dr. Engineer/Souad Al Shamsi to receive many honors and awards. That is why His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum honored her with a message of thanks. She also received the Distinguished Emirati Shield in Abu Dhabi, and was honored by prominent government figures, such as Dr. Mona Mehrez, “Egyptian Deputy Minister of Agriculture,” and Dr. Maysa Shawky, “Egyptian Deputy Minister of Health,” and this was at the Women’s Methodology in Building Nation Conference.

At the global level, the achievements of Dr. Engineer/Souad Al Shamsi caught the eyes of the West. Therefore, she was the first Arab woman to be honored in the aviation fieldwith the World of Difference Award, and this is from the International Alliance for the Empowerment of Women in Australia. She was also honored in “Innovators Around the World”, until last year she obtained the title of Iron Engineer, and this is from the Arab Achievement and Creativity Foundation.