Captain Aysha Al Hamili, UAE Permanent Representative to the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, has received an international award for her work as a pioneering pilot and diplomat from the UAE.
The award was presented by Daughters for Life Foundation, a Canadian-based foundation that aims to advance education and health for girls and women in the Middle East.
The awards ceremony took place in Toronto recently and was attended by Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, President of the Foundation. The foundation awards pioneering personalities who inspire and help to provide young women throughout the Middle East with opportunities for education and leadership.
Speaking on the occasion, Captain Al Hamili said, "It is a special honour and I feel proud to be part of this great initiative by the Daughters for Life Foundation. This award truly motivates and encourages women from different walks of life to inspire and motivate others." Al Hamili is the first Arab woman to receive the trailblazing luminary award.
Al Hamili was the recipient of the 2013 U.A.E. Federal Personality Award. With more than 17 years of experience in civil aviation, she currently heads the U.A.E. Permanent Diplomatic Mission to ICAO. When she was appointed in 2009, she was the youngest-ever Permanent Representative accredited to the ICAO and the first Arab female. She became the first U.A.E. female pilot when she obtained her Private Pilot License in 1998 at the age of 16.
She is a Commercial/Instrument Pilot License (CPL/IR) holder and Certified Flight Instructor (CFI/CFII).
Source: WAM