Dubai, UAE: Last week, GE (NYSE:GE) hosted a team of six female students from Al Khaleej International School at its On Wing Support Centre in Dubai South’s Aviation District Aerospace Supply Chain Facility. The team won GE’s ‘STEM for the Next 50’ innovation camp’s energy trilemma challenge, which took place from December 5–9 at Expo 2020 Dubai, in partnership with INJAZ UAE.

The winning team earned the opportunity to job shadow senior GE engineers on International Women’s Day. They spent the day learning first-hand about the opportunities within the aviation industry and the high-tech maintenance and repair processes for aircraft engines, what career pathways in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields potentially look like, and how could positively impact lives through a STEM career choice in the future.

Eda Çalışkan, Head of Organization and Talent Development – MENAT, GE International Markets, said: “We, at GE, are delighted to welcome these bright, young female students to our facilities, where they had the opportunity to engage directly with engineers who shared their experience and knowledge with them. Through this job shadowing experience, we are confident we are empowering the next generation of women leaders in STEM fields and creating a more inclusive world that will contribute to the growth of the nation.”

Speaking about her experience, Nour Ayman Elsayed, a senior at Al Khaleej International School said: “Today was very beneficial for me. I learned a lot in addition to the technical side of aviation. Seeing an aircraft engine up-close and understanding what goes into maintenance and repair was very eye-opening. Through today’s experience, I recognize I have more opportunities in engineering, particularly in the aviation industry. It was also very thought-provoking to hear how women are more present in this industry today.”

Roudha Mohamed Al Marzouqi, another senior at Al Khaleej International School added: “It was really interesting to see the behind-the-scenes of an engine, including the safety features. This experience is helping me decide on a possible career in engineering; it is also motivating because I got to see women working in this field and making an impact in an industry that is male dominated. With diversity more ideas come, and it makes the workplace more efficient as well.”

Inaugurated in 2018, GE’s On Wing Support Center today serves all UAE carriers including Emirates, Etihad Airways, Air Arabia and flydubai, and provides prompt maintenance and repair services. It can host up to 20 LEAP-1A and LEAP-1B engines annually for quick turn work scopes, including hot section module replacements, in addition to delivering ongoing service support for all other GE/CFM engine models with capability to service the GE9x engines in the future. It also stores spare engines enabling GE to deliver them swiftly to its customers in the region.

The ‘STEM for the Next 50’ innovation camp, which was held in celebration of the UAE’s Golden Jubilee, engaged over 200 female participants between the ages of 14 and 16 through critical thinking and problem-solving modules to find innovative solutions to challenges around the energy transition.

About GE:

GE (NYSE:GE) drives the world forward by tackling its biggest challenges. By combining world-class engineering with software and analytics, GE helps the world work more efficiently, reliably, and safely. For nearly 130 years, GE has invented the future of industry, and today it leads new paradigms in additive manufacturing, materials science, and data analytics. GE people are global, diverse, and dedicated, operating with the highest integrity and passion to fulfill GE’s mission and deliver for our customers. www.ge.com