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What happens when you chase a dream everyone says is impossible? For Dr. Suaad, the first Emirati female aircraft engineer, it meant transforming an industry and inspiring thousands of women across the Middle East.

Growing up watching planes from her home near Dubai International Airport, Dr. Suaad developed an obsession that would define her life's work. But when she tried to pursue aircraft engineering after high school, she hit a wall universities explicitly stated "male" under gender requirements. For 18 months, she refused to give up, eventually securing a scholarship from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to study in the UK.

Dr. Suaad takes us through her remarkable journey, from facing skepticism in a male-dominated field to founding Women in Aviation, a non-profit that now has over 3,000 members. She speaks candidly about balancing professional achievements with family life, dispelling the myth that women must choose between career success and personal happiness.

Perhaps most powerful is her discussion of learning limits the hard way. After working non-stop on a major project, Dr. Suaad experienced severe burnout that led to three months in hospital. "We're like machines. Sometimes the machine breaks," she explains. This wake-up call transformed her approach to success, teaching her that you cannot give 100% to everything simultaneously. Now she advocates for intentional breaks, including weekly tech-free days with her family and annual social media detoxes.

Whether you're challenging industry norms, balancing ambition with well-being, or simply wondering how to say "no" more often, this conversation offers wisdom from someone who's broken barriers while learning that true success isn't measured by titles alone. As Dr. Suaad says, "What will they remember? Not all the fancy things around you, but who you are."

If you want to check out Dr.Suaad on instagram head over to the link below :

https://www.instagram.com/dr.eng.suaadalshamsi/

I would love to hear your feedback also, feel free to send me a DM on :

https://www.instagram.com/sophiadelavari/

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