This powerful acknowledgment underscored the difficult conditions early pioneers of education faced and the personal resolve required to embrace the leadership’s vision
Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, paid a heartfelt tribute to an Emirati mother whose keenness to educate her son became an example of pioneering efforts on the UAE’s educational journey. The woman, Dhahira Al Ameri, was honoured for her unwavering trust in the nation’s leadership and her profound commitment to her kid’s future.
During a session titled “The Impregnable Fortress” at the World Governments Summit (GVS), Sheikh Saif shared an image with the audience of Dhahira Al Ameri with her young son, sitting together under a simple tent in the Al Wagan area of Al Ain.
This tent was one of the first makeshift schools in the region, established at a time when formal education was still a novel concept for many in the UAE.
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He explained that when the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Founding Father, called on families to educate their children, Dhahira and others like her did not hesitate, despite the uncertainty.
In a direct and personal address to her, Sheikh Saif highlighted the magnitude of her sacrifice and determination. “Dhahira, there was no one to help you, and you did not have what mothers have today,” Sheikh Saif said: “But you were keen to be with him.”
This powerful acknowledgment underscored the difficult conditions early pioneers of education faced and the personal resolve required to embrace the leadership’s vision for a more knowledgeable society.
The son she had accompanied to that tent school, now a grown man, stood on stage beside his mother and said: “I studied and graduated from America, and today, I have four daughters who are graduates of UAE University, and another daughter studying cybersecurity in Australia.”
This emotional testimony provided a direct link from a mother’s sacrifice in a desert tent to a new generation of educated, empowered Emirati women making their mark on the world.
It powerfully illustrated the ripple effect of one woman’s trust and the visionary leadership that encouraged it.
The story of Dhahira Al Ameri is one of many mothers back then, it’s more than just a personal account it is a microcosm of the UAE’s own developmental narrative.
It encapsulates the core values of trust in leadership, the pivotal role of women in nation-building, and the belief that education is the ultimate foundation for progress.
