Young achievers share recipe for success
Writer, fitness trainer, fashion designer and pastry chef urge women to follow their passion
Six accomplished Emirati women yesterday discussed their success stories with a room full of women in Dubai. The young speakers’ panel had diverse careers including a children’s book writer, fitness trainer, fashion designer and pastry chef. The topic of discussion was ‘Passion, Courage and Success’.
Sahar Al Awadhi, a junior sous chef in Burj Al Arab hotel’s pastry kitchen, said: “I love pastries and being in the kitchen. It is a very tough job. I work 14-hour days on my feet and have to do the same thing over and over again. But I don’t mind because I love it so much,” Al Awadhi, one among few Emirati women who work in the culinary sector, said.
After graduating from high school, Al Awadhi went on to study communications and design management at the American University of Sharjah. Her first job was at Zayed University, where she handled social media, communications, marketing and branding for four years.
She then took a leap of faith to follow her passion for pastry, as an experimental journey.
Al Awadhi got her first kitchen job at La Serre Bistro and Boulangerie, where she worked with some of Dubai’s top chefs. She then decided to further her patisserie training and spent some time learning bread baking, from one of the best bakers in Paris. Today, she is Burj Al Arab’s first ever Emirati chef.
Other successful Emirati women on the panel included Fatima Al Banna, panel moderator and PR Manager at Jumeirah Group; Abeer Al Khaja, an athlete at Gravity Calisthenics Gym; Dr. Reem Al Gurg, a children’s author, professor and academic researcher. Also on the panel was Fatema Al Kamali, co-founder of Borderline Productions and an applied media educator. Shatha Eisa, a local fashion designer, was the final participant.
All the panellists noted that they received support from their family, communities and the UAE government, which contributed greatly to their career path and current success.