From athlete to boat-maker: Meet the first Emirati woman building Olympic rowing boats
22 May 2025 20:26
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)The sleek shells of Olympic rowing boats all looked the same to Reem Al Hassani: efficient, anonymous, and made elsewhere. With 60 medals of every shade in hand, the Olympic champion traded the podium for a workbench, determined to build a rowing boat with the UAE in its grain – its story etched with Emirati hands into every curve.Her journey in the field started in 2017 after becoming the first Emirati athlete to join the Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club. In 2018, she obtained the title of UAE Olympic Rowing Champion.'I wanted more than just to compete,' she told Aletihad in a recent interview. 'I wanted to create something that carries the name of the UAE and revives our maritime heritage with a modern touch.'Al Hassani recalls feeling disconnected from the Olympic boats she rowed in, finding them foreign. 'I realised the boat should reflect who we are, our ideas, our identity, our environment,' she said.In 2021, Al Hassani ventured into the highly specialised and male-dominated world of boat manufacturing. 'It wasn't easy proving that the word 'impossible' means nothing for this daughter of the Emirates,' she said. 'I believed the industry isn't exclusive to anyone and that passion can open up all doors.'Her boats stand out among global counterparts not only for their engineering, but for the story they tell.'They carry the spirit of our land and the pulse of the Gulf Sea,' she said. 'They're made with an Emirati eye.' Al Hassani insists that a product can't truly be Emirati unless it touches the country's soil and draws from its resources.'I make sure that every material, every concept comes from our environment. It's not just a product; it's a message from our land to the world.'Al Hassani also noted that creating an Olympic-grade boat is as much about engineering excellence as athletic insight. Olympic rowing boats are made to exacting standards in weight, measurements, and contour. 'The smallest detail makes a difference,' she said. 'But the boat is more than a tool, it's the athlete's partner in their journey.''I design with the eye of an engineer, the heart of an athlete, and the pride of an Emirati.'
Going Global Al Hassani plans on importing her UAE-made boats to global markets. 'I want to see the UAE's name sail across every sea,' she said. 'I want to take Emirati rowing boats to global championships.'To young Emirati women eyeing a future in manufacturing or sports tech, Al Hassani said, 'The UAE has given us opportunity, hope, and support to dream and achieve.''When your country believes in you, there should be no limits to your ambition. With passion, sincerity and determination, your idea can come to reality. The Emirati woman has always been up to the challenge.'Al Hassani was hosted by the Abu Dhabi Exports Office (ADEX) on Wednesday at Make it in the Emirates (MIITE) to share her industrial journey.'I'm thankful to Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi. Director General of ADFD and Chairman of the Exports Executive Committee of ADEXm, for this trust,' she said.
'It gives me more drive to keep going and proudly represent Emirati women in the industrial field.'
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