Dubai successfully hosts the 2025 IEEE Women in Engineering Leadership Summit

Dubai UAE 

Sallam sallam

Dubai successfully hosted the 2025 IEEE Women in Engineering Leadership Summit, with the participation of 200 academic leaders, engineers, and women leaders from ten Arab and foreign countries. The event was organized at Raffles Dubai by the IEEE UAE Section and members from the Women in Engineering (WIE) Affinity Group.

The Summit featured prominent academics from local and international universities, including Dr. Eesa Bastaki, President of the University of Dubai and Honorary Chair of the IEEE UAE Section; Dr. Haifa Jamal Al-Lail, President of Effat University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Prof. Hussain Al Ahmad, Vice President of the University of Dubai and Chair of the IEEE UAE Section; Dr. Yousef Al-Assaf, President of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Dubai; Prof. Wathiq Mansoor, Dean of the College of Engineering and IT (CEIT) at the University of Dubai; Dr. Fadi Aloul, Dean of the College of Engineering at the American University of Sharjah; and Dr. Kinda Khalaf, Associate Dean of the College of Medicine & Health Sciences at Khalifa University.

The 2025 Summit is led by a distinguished and diverse team within the IEEE, comprising representatives from leading institutions across the UAE and around the world. The General Summit Chairs are Dr. Diana W. Dawoud, Dr. Maisam Wahbah, and Dr. Yasmin Halawani.

The Summit also hosted senior executives from Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), along with founders and professionals from companies such as TAQA, Strata, and others, who shared their expertise and insights to inspire and empower participants.

Dr. Eesa Bastaki highlighted that the UAE’s wise leadership has long prioritized and supported women as an essential part of society, emphasizing their influential role in the nation’s development. He noted that as a result of this commitment and the creation of an enabling environment for leadership development, many distinguished and successful women leaders have emerged across all sectors. He also reaffirmed the University of Dubai’s role in supporting women, fostering innovation, and preparing future generations for leadership roles.

He further stressed the pioneering role of women in engineering and science globally, and the importance of the summit in showcasing future career opportunities for women aligned with today’s technological and digital advancements.

Prof. Hussain Al Ahmad discussed the evolution of women’s roles in science and engineering, past and present, noting that Emirati women take pride in having engineers among their ministers and leaders in government, academia, and the private sector.

He added that the IEEE currently has over half a million members worldwide — engineers, scientists, and innovators — and that the UAE Section includes over 2,000 members, in addition to several student branches, technical chapters, and the active and growing Women in Engineering community.

Dr. Diana W. Dawoud, General Summit Chair, emphasized the importance of the event in fostering collaboration between academia and industry, developing mechanisms to support women in science and technology, and creating training opportunities and workshops for professional and leadership development, as well as joint research initiatives that empower women in these fields.

The first day of the summit featured welcome speeches, keynote addresses, a panel discussion, and interactive networking sessions focused on career mentorship, collaboration, and leadership development. The agenda also included sessions on professional growth, a scientific poster presentation competition, and initiatives to enhance industry–academia collaboration.

The second day included a review of the previous day’s sessions, followed by keynote speeches, a panel discussion, and reflections and insights for future Summit editions presented by Dr. Maisam Wahbah. The event concluded with an awards ceremony and closing remarks.