Emirati Women's Day 2025: 'I Feel Lucky To Be A Woman In The UAE,' Says Doctor

Sometimes when you are climbing a mountain, you don't realise how steep the incline is - it feels relentless, but you have no choice but to trudge uphill. It's only in retrospect that you realise how far you have come. Similarly, when Dr Noura Mohamed Juma was in her 20s, she found herself in survival mode as a single mother of two children with medical conditions while her greatest supporter- her mum - fought cancer. Now, she not only had to keep an eye on doctors' visits, health check-ups, and nutritional needs, she also had to find a way to thrive at her job as a paediatric dentist.

Today, the 40-year-old Emirati says:“One must trust in God's plan because going through several crises at a very early stage of life, you might not have that much maturity, and you can get easily affected by a situation.”

She admits that speaking of the issues in the past tense is easier than living in turmoil, but says faith can lend you strength in the toughest moments. And when you are in the UAE, the people and government around you will too. Dr Noura, who spoke to City Times ahead of Emirati Women's Day (celebrated today), explains that the culture of the country is to be supportive.“I did my Master's in the UAE. I was sponsored by a government entity; I had a scholarship through them. I was also given full-time study leave for three years. I believe we are so lucky to be in the UAE as women.”

“I did my Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Ajman University of Science and Technology,” she recalls, adding that by the time she was 20, she was married. When it came time to join the workforce, she was pregnant with her first child, Zayed.“It was the first time I was working,” she recalls, adding that dentistry is not an easy discipline.“There is an overall load both physical and mental. It was a great challenge for me, coping with all those demands. But with the support of my family, I managed.”

When she gave birth a second time two-and-a-half years later, she was already contending with her son's missed developmental milestones. However, when she got a chance to do her Master's, she took it.“I had to deal with early mornings (6.30am) and late nights, clinic and academic work, and the children's needs. It was a hectic time. But my mum was the hero of my story, I felt safe leaving my kids with her. She was supporting me to the maximum, just telling me to focus on my studies.”

In the second year of her post-graduate studies, her mother had some devastating news: she had sarcoma.

The phone line goes quiet as we let the weight of that sink in. But Dr Noura refuses to stay stuck in grief. She is quick to brush away the heartache.“We could manage,” she says.

It was also during this period that she found that her daughter was struggling too. She had trouble with her vision.“We struggled with Ayesha's diagnosis for six to eight months as we tried to discover what was impairing her eyesight.”

As Zayed enrolled in a rehabilitation programme that included physiotherapy and speech therapy and got better at expressing himself, the family hunted for clues as to why Ayesha could not see properly.“She had a rare disorder,” says Dr Noura, adding that it is now under control.

Yet the trying times for her weren't over just yet. In 2016, her estranged husband passed away. Then, in 2020, she had to contend with the death of her mother.“It was a problem for me to be alone through the journey but I think I did my best, and after I joined in 2016 as a paediatric dentist, I was again working in the main specialised dental centre in Sharjah. After that I became a coordinator for the school health, oral health promotion and innovation programmes and emergency health services, the dental department... I work as full time in emergency health services as well,” she says.

Currently, the certified specialist in behaviour management techniques and sedation dentistry provides comprehensive dental care from infancy through adolescence. She is a paediatrics dentist at Medcare Hospital, Sharjah.

“I've had a busy life,” she mulls, adding in a quieter, more contemplative tone,“Last year, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.”

“I had a lot of flare ups, so I am under medication, which is immunosuppressive.”

The rancour that you expect right about now does not show up. Instead, Dr Noura says simply:“God was beside me through all ups and downs, and I am grateful and blessed.”

As she walks though the low points, she says when it comes to overcoming things, besides having faith, one should surround themselves with supportive people.“I believe that going through all these things alone will make those things just more complicated.”

“And I can't forget the role of Al Jalila Foundation in my life - I got my scholarship through it. Once I applied for the scholarship, they were asking about my family, my children, and once they noticed that my kid had a delayed development and a speech problem, they assigned me to different courses - on how I can deal with my child, how I can deal with my struggles, where I should go for the speech therapy, for the overhaul, rehabilitation,” she adds. Today, the kids are doing well. “There haven't been any other issues,” she says.

Walking on an incline is not easy. Fortunately, in the UAE, you don't have to go it alone.

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