ExxonMobil Qatar’s Women Network EMRA’A hosts second Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day at Ruqaya Preparatory School for Girls

A group of 11 ExxonMobil Qatar volunteers led the event’s program that included fun and stimulating activities for the 38 students from grade nine. The volunteers organized a team competition designed to introduce the students to concepts of engineering, budgeting and project management. The students put their basic STEM skills to the test by building load-bearing bridges out of raw spaghetti and marshmallows. Following the activity, volunteers had a candid discussion with the students about their own professional experiences as females in STEM fields – the challenges and the rewards -- and explained the significance of engineering for society.

“Today was such a wonderful and inspiring experience for me as a professional,” said Nayla Al Naema, Senior Environmental Analyst for ExxonMobil Research Qatar, who delivered the introduction at the event. “Every day, scientists make discoveries that change the way we live. As a scientist myself, I’m intrigued by these scientific breakthroughs - they are the reason I continue to do what I do every day, and I was so excited to share my love of science with the girls at Ruqaya Preparatory School for Girls today.”

“I was very impressed with the questions and the students’ enthusiasm and keenness to learn. I hope I was able to inspire them to consider a future career in science or one of the other STEM fields. They are a group of young women with strong career ambitions, and I have no doubt that they will have a lot to contribute to Qatar in the future,” added Al Naema.

“Introduce a Girl to Engineering is a wonderful program that is extremely effective in introducing students to the world of engineering,” said Emad Al-Khaja, Chief Executive Officer, INJAZ Qatar. “We are pleased to have helped our partner ExxonMobil Qatar hold this unique event in Doha for the second time – it is truly a unique way to help students develop a passion for engineering.”

“At INJAZ Qatar, we work very hard to provide students with learning experiences that will help them develop the necessary skills to transition into the workforce. When students have the tools to achieve, the possibilities are endless,” added Al-Khaja.

EMRA’A hosts several events each year that support the current and future needs of the Qatari community. Last November, the network chose to highlight STEM education – a priority area for ExxonMobil worldwide– and hosted its inaugural Introduce A Girl to Engineering at Al Bayan School for Girls with INJAZ Qatar. The event is in line with ExxonMobil Qatar’s broader efforts to help educate and develop the scientists, engineers and innovators that will help sustain Qatar’s future knowledge-based society.

ExxonMobil Qatar has been supporting INJAZ Qatar since 2007, harnessing the mentorship of Qatari business leaders to help inspire entrepreneurialism and innovation among Qatari youth. INJAZ Qatar is an affiliate of Junior Achievement Worldwide, the world's largest non-profit business education organization reaching 9.7 million students annually.

About ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil, the largest publicly traded international oil and gas company, uses technology and innovation to help meet the world’s growing energy needs. ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading inventory of resources, is the largest refiner and marketer of petroleum products, and its chemical company is one of the largest in the world.

ExxonMobil Qatar Inc. is a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation and is the interface point within Qatar for all ExxonMobil affiliated activities.

About EMRA’A

ExxonMobil Qatar’s women’s interest network, EMRA’A, was founded in 2009 to provide women working within the company and its joint ventures with skills training, mentoring, career guidance and networking opportunities. EMRA’A, meaning ‘woman’ in Arabic, also stands for ExxonMobil Reaching, Aspiring and Advancing, and is modeled off of other ExxonMobil professional women’s networking groups around the globe.

Since establishment, EMRA’A has functioned as a platform from which opportunities for professional women can surface, and where trending topics related to women in the workplace can be brought to the table. The network strives to connect with the Qatari community and hosts events with development opportunities, valuable networking opportunities and team-building activities. Additionally, EMRA’A hosts community events for ExxonMobil to support the needs of the Qatari community.