Aysha Al Remeithi is exactly the kind of young person the country needs.
The 22 - year - old is just starting out as an engineer specialising in sustainable and renewable energy, a fast growing industry already capitalising on investment stemming from the decline of oil.
But sacrifice and hard work were key in driving the Dubai - born Emirati along the way.
As an only child, Ms Al Remeithi's mother invested a lot of time and effort in her education.
And I thank her a lot for that, she said.
"She made me participate in many competitions and that was the peak of when I shaped my personality. It started to spark something and I started seeing a difference. "
Although her first year studying the topic at the University of Sharjah was tough, she grew to fall in love with 'all things sustainable' and graduated with a grade point average of 3. 86 with honours.
"When I was looking for a major to study in high school, I was looking for something new and interesting, " she said.
"I didn't want to go with the norm. I came across sustainable and renewable energy and I kept reading about it online and saw it was the vision for the future for many countries around the world. One day, fossil fuels and natural gas will [run out] so it had a lot of room for creativity and innovation. "
She felt a lot of potential in the subject which drew her even more.
"The possibilities are huge, " she said.
"It's the next big thing along with smart cities which I am considering taking a masters in. "
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