Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi sent an Emirati Women’s Day 2026 message to women across the UAE on Friday morning, calling them the ‘extension of a cherished journey, a precious trust in the nation’s present, and a promise for its future.’
The mass text message reached phones at around 7.30am, opening the occasion’s month-long festivities, which began on 28 August 2026.
Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak holds the titles of Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF). She founded the GWU in 1975, establishing what the Emirates News Agency (WAM) describes as the first national mechanism for women’s empowerment in the UAE.
She also founded Emirati Women’s Day in 2015. This year marks the occasion’s expansion from a single day to a full month of commemoration, following an announcement by Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak earlier in 2026.
‘As the horizon of ambition expands with you and through you, our celebration this year will not be limited to a single day,’ she said in that earlier letter to Emiratis.
Pillars of the nation
In Friday’s message, Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak told Emirati women they are ‘pillars of the nation’ and called on them to uphold their values. She also paid tribute to the men and institutions that have supported women and opened ‘doors of opportunity’ for them.
The message closed with a call to unity: ‘The UAE has always moved towards the future with unity and shared purpose, firmly believing that people are its greatest investment, and that women are the heart of society, a pillar of its progress, and active partners in shaping the future of the most precious of nations, the United Arab Emirates.’
The theme for Emirati Women’s Day 2026 is ‘We Emerge Stronger and Better.’ Gulf News has reported a variation, rendering it as ‘Together, We Rise Stronger and Better.’ The phrase ‘We Emerge Stronger and Better’ appears in Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak’s own closing words in Friday’s message and is the formulation used by Khaleej Times.
UAE’s Gender Inequality Index ranking
The occasion falls as the UAE holds its highest-ever position in a key global measure. The country ranked seventh globally and first regionally in the 2024 Gender Inequality Index issued by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), according to WAM. That compares with 49th place in 2015, the year Emirati Women’s Day was established, and 11th place in 2022.
Further details on the month-long programme of events are available via Gulf News, which is carrying coverage of the day’s statements and activities.
