UAE: Dh500k aviation scholarships launched to empower women, bridge gender gap

Khaleej Times

29-05-2025

A new scholarship programme worth over Dh500K has been launched for women from Arab countries who want to pursue professional careers in aviation — a sector where women comprise just five per cent of pilots globally.
Backed by the Intercontinental Aviation Academy (IAA), the Women in Aviation Middle East scholarship programme targets women from the Middle East facing financial constraints.
In an interview with Khaleej Times, Dr Zeina Mehyou, Deputy CEO for Academic Relations, Governance and Student Experience, IAA, said, 'We've long recognised the significant gender gap in aviation, particularly in pilot roles, where women remain highly underrepresented. Over the years, we've actively worked to challenge the perception that aviation is a male-dominated field by emphasising that passion, determination, and skill, not gender, are what truly matter.
"However, the UAE and other countries in the region have made significant strides in promoting gender equality, and the aviation sector is a powerful example where women now represent up to 48 per cent of the workforce in certain airlines and aviation organisations.'
Under the scholarship. the academy is offering for the 2025 launch:
One full scholarship valued at over USD 105,000 (around Dh 385,350), covering all tuition and flight training necessary to obtain a full Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL).
Ten fully sponsored scholarships for the Fundamentals of Aviation course, valued at a collective USD 35,000 (Dh128,450), designed to give young women foundational knowledge and early exposure to aviation careers.
Dr Zeina Mehyou explained that the programme goes beyond tuition support. It includes mentorship and internship opportunities to ensure recipients are not only trained but also career-ready. 'Recipients will have access to experienced mentors from the aviation industry to guide them throughout their training journey."
'In terms of practical experience, we are also working closely with our industry partners to facilitate internship and potential job placement opportunities for selected scholars, particularly those who demonstrate excellence, to help them transition smoothly from training to the professional aviation environment.' she added.
Globally, women remain underrepresented in technical aviation roles. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), women made up just 4.9 per cent of pilots, air traffic controllers, and maintenance technicians combined in 2021. Regionally, the highest increase in the number of women pilots were observed in Asia Pacific and Latin America/Caribbean, with North America leading at 4.6 per cent. To address this disparity, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) launched the 25by2025 initiative, targeting a 25 per cent increase in female representation in underrepresented and senior roles by 2025.
'The launch of this scholarship programme is a natural next step in our mission. It is designed to remove one of the most common barriers — financial constraints — that may prevent talented women from taking the leap,' said Mehyou.
'By offering this scholarship, we hope to empower more women with the opportunity to start their journey and thrive in the aviation industry.'
Applications for the scholarship programme will officially open at the end of May 2025, with those selected to be announced at the Annual Women in Aviation Middle East Meeting in November 2025. All training will be conducted at IAA's facilities in the UAE.