Shamma Bint Mohammed Al Nahyan Receives 2026 World Woman Hero Award At Davos
The 2026 World Woman Hero Award given to Sheikha Dr. Shamma bint Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan at the Davos Conference highlights growing global interest in Emirati women’s leadership. The recognition at Davos in Switzerland signals how the Emirati model of women’s empowerment is now closely watched worldwide.
The award ceremony takes place on the sidelines of the Davos Conference, in the Swiss city of Davos, with intellectual leaders, decision-makers, and influential figures from many countries present. Their participation underlines how this recognition goes beyond a local honour and enters wider international dialogue.

The World Woman Hero Award is issued by the World Woman Foundation, an international organisation that honours women whose work has made a lasting difference to women and girls. The foundation focuses on initiatives that respect human dignity, support freedom of choice, promote equality, and build stronger community awareness.
Sheikha Dr. Shamma bint Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan receives the award in recognition of a long intellectual and humanitarian journey. Her cultural, educational, and community projects are designed as sustained programmes, treating women’s empowerment as a gradual cognitive and developmental process rather than a short-term intervention.
Her initiatives seek to move beyond traditional frameworks by creating measurable social impact and supporting human development. Through institutions and community platforms, Sheikha Dr. Shamma bint Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan helps shape an environment where women can participate as informed partners in development and future planning.
The awarding body notes in its citation that Sheikha Dr. Shamma bint Mohammed represents a contemporary model of conscious female leadership that combines intellectual vision, institutional work, and societal impact, and that her projects show a deep understanding of women’s role as essential partners in sustainable development and in shaping the future.
World Woman Hero Award, Emirati women and Davos Conference global impact
The choice of Davos is important, as the Global Davos Conference is one of the leading platforms discussing the economy, development, governance, and human issues. Recognition there highlights the presence of Emirati voices in these conversations and indicates that the Emirati approach to women’s empowerment has earned broad international respect.
This achievement also points to the expanding role of Emirati women in global forums, where they contribute through ideas, cultural initiatives, and humanitarian work. It aligns with the vision of the United Arab Emirates, which places the human being at the centre of its development strategies and treats inclusive participation as a strategic priority.
The 2026 World Woman Hero Award for Sheikha Dr. Shamma bint Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan is seen as an international acknowledgment of continuous, conscious effort. The recognition reflects a role that crosses geographic and cultural borders, supports the values of cognitive justice, and helps build societies that are more aware and more responsible.
With inputs from WAM