The active participation of Emirati women in science and technology has transitioned from a notable presence to a direct contribution to knowledge creation and future planning. This advancement is supported by a UAE national ecosystem that prioritizes education, innovation, and scientific research. Among the prominent figures leading this movement is Dr. Hanan Aldarmaki, who serves as the Director of the Center of Teaching and Learning and Assistant Professor of Natural Language Processing at the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI).
In an interview with the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Dr. Aldarmaki highlighted that the continuous backing from UAE leadership has opened up numerous avenues for Emirati women to pursue advanced studies and establish careers in scientific research and AI within the country. Her own academic background includes an MPhil from the University of Cambridge and a PhD in Computer Science from George Washington University. Upon joining MBZUAI in 2022, she became the first female and the first Emirati faculty member at the institution.
The growing representation of women in this domain is reflected in MBZUAI's student demographics, where female students make up 54 percent of the Emirati cohort for the 2026-2027 academic year. Dr. Aldarmaki attributed these milestones to decades of forward-looking leadership aimed at empowering women across various sectors.
As an AI researcher, Dr. Aldarmaki focuses heavily on natural language and speech processing for Arabic and low-resource languages. This work is critical for representing regional culture and values in artificial intelligence systems. Given the diversity of Arabic dialects, her research addresses major scientific challenges, particularly through the Ramsa Lab, a national initiative dedicated to documenting spoken Emirati dialects. Because much of the UAE's intangible heritage is transmitted orally, this documentation preserves cultural values and practices while building the necessary technical foundation for accurate linguistic technologies.
MBZUAI continues to support Emirati development through undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs. Recently, the university launched the Ruwwad AI Scholars (RAIS) Postdoctoral Fellowship, which provides fully funded, two-year postdoctoral research opportunities at leading international institutions for Emirati PhD graduates. Marking Emirati Women's Day, Dr. Aldarmaki encouraged aspiring female scientists to master technical concepts, emphasizing that artificial intelligence is a tool intended to serve humanity and foster a sustainable future.
