Three Emirati women athletes whose discipline and global visibility signal a new era for women’s sport in the UAE.

The evolution of women’s sport in the UAE has reached a decisive moment. The narrative now highlights professionalism, longevity, and global credibility. Today’s Emirati sportswomen are competing to win and to redefine what excellence looks like in the region. Three athletes, working across very different disciplines, illustrate this with clarity.

Fatima Alawadhi

She is the youngest Arab woman and first Emirati woman to summit Mount Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica (4,892m), on January 6, 2026. At just 18 years of age, she successfully climbed Mount Vinson, braving temperatures of – 40 degrees Celsius. 

She dedicated her accomplishments to UAE leadership, including President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, to inspire Arab youth and women.

Going forward, Al Awadhi aims to combine mountain climbing with community service and environmental causes. 

Amna Al Haddad

Weightlifting is not a sport of compromise. It demands absolute commitment to form, to repetition, and to the unrelenting work of getting stronger, in full view of an audience. Amna Al Haddad understood this early. Representing the UAE at the World Weightlifting Championships and several other international competitions, she entered arenas where Emirati women had rarely been visible, let alone competitive.

She is the first Arab woman to compete in the CrossFit Asia Regionals.Her impact on persistence. Al Haddad’s career reframed strength as discipline by holding space in international sport; she helped normalise the presence of Emirati women in elite, physically demanding arenas.

Amna Al Qubaisi

Amna Al Qubaisi is a pioneering Emirati motorsports driver, recognized as the first female Formula 4, Formula 3, and Formula E tester from the UAE, driving for top teams like MP Motorsport. As of 2025, she has transitioned into endurance racing with her sister, Hamda Al Qubaisi, following a successful tenure in the F1 Academy. 

She became the first Arab woman to win a Formula 4 race at the 2019 F1 Grand Prix, the first female Arab to compete in a Formula E test in Saudi Arabia in 2018, and the first female Emirati F3 driver, later competing in the F1 Academy.

She has actively broken barriers for women in male-dominated sports, earning recognition as an inspiration for Arab female athletes. Since the beginning of her career, she has become a reference point for what is possible when infrastructure, ambition, and opportunity align.

A New Sporting Language

Together, these women reflect a broader recognition of women’s sport in the UAE. Their careers are built on repetition, patience, and credibility. Today, they are setting benchmarks by shaping a sporting culture where Emirati women are not exceptions, but fixtures; present, prepared, and here to stay.