Alia Humaid Al Qassimi

Sheikha Alia Humaid Al Qassimi is an Emirati surgeon with a specialism in gynaecology, plastic and reconstructive surgery. She was the first Emirati to become a senior member of the European Society of Aesthetic Surgery, and has since sat on its scientific committee. Qassimi has worked internationally to bring developments in her field to the United Arab Emirates, and was named Inspirational Woman of the Year at the Arab Woman Awards in 2016.

Career As a child, Alia Humaid Al Qassimi suffered from asthma, and was inspired by her doctors to pursue a career in as a medical professional. She said that part of her role was the travel in Europe to learn new techniques, and then bring them back to the United Arab Emirates to teach others there. As part of this overseas collaborative work, she attended the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland at its Dubai campus, graduating in 2008 with a Master's degree in Healthcare Management. Qassimi was also part of the Women Leadership Exchange Programme, an effort between the UAE government and Lund University in Sweden to share knowledge, which she graduated in 2013. The following year, she won the Woman Leader Award at the Global Women's Leaders Conference in the Community Development Excellence category, on the 19th occasion of the conference as it was held in Dubai.