“It all begins with taking one step to change the course of your life.”
– Amna Al Haddad
An impactful speaker is someone who not only inspires or impresses the audience but can also deliver long-lasting positive change in people’s minds and actions. As an experienced speaker, Amna treats her speeches as a performance that engages with the audience’s emotions and logic, imprinting hope and determination in their minds.
At the age of 21, Amna landed her first ever speaking gig in front of a 1,000 people through TEDx. Today, her unique story as an Arab Muslim female weightlifter has become timeless and relevant across a variety of industries and has addressed audiences in many sectors, including sports, health, government, education, technology, oil & gas, beauty, FMCG, economic forums, telecom, and F&B to name a few.
Amna’s talks include but are not limited to the following topics:
- Sports Diplomacy & Peacebuilding ⓘAmna was invited as an honorary guest to speak at the United States Institute of Peace to address peace-making through sports during Women at The Table: The Fifth and Last Sheikha Fatima Lectureship on May 16, 2017. The event was held in collaboration with the UAE Embassy in Washington, D.C. Sports is known to bridge cultures and open doors for conversations to create global acceptance and peace.
- Pioneering New Markets ⓘA pioneer in her own right, Amna worked alongside Nike to enter and—pioneer—a new market to become the first global brand to create a sports hijab—the Nike Pro Hijab. She consulted on the needs of Muslim female athletes and was part of the design process during a historic visit to Nike’s HQ. This is a testament to the power of an individual and Amna’s trailblazing journey’s influence on the global market.
- Lessons Learned: The Olympics ⓘTraining for the Olympics is a great feat that only a handful of people can achieve. Middle Eastern women are less likely to train or dream of the Olympics due to societal barriers. Here, Amna expounds on the lessons she learned on her Olympic journey as an Emirati woman and the obstacles facing Middle Eastern women and how to bypass them and become unstoppable in one’s pursuits.
- Leadership & Success Tools ⓘLeading others starts with leading oneself first. What are the awesome ingredients to attain those qualities? Leadership has many styles and not one size fits all. The purpose of leadership is to empower others to take positive action and nurture a person’s talent by providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in a constantly changing world. Amna addressed those tools at several talks, including GASCO, AISEC Lead, and educational institutions.
- Women in the Media ⓘMedia has a strong role in shaping our worldviews, beliefs, and what we consume. As reported by the U.N. Women, 46% of media coverage still upheld gender stereotypes, while only 6% focused on equality. Now, the narrative of women’s role should change by highlighting women as leaders, communicators, ground-breaking athletes, and global changemakers.
- Female Sports in UAE ⓘMany efforts are being put forth to encourage female—especially Emirati—athletes to participate in physical activities. What was once seen as a hobby and a waste of time is now slowly becoming a path that girls can pursue as a result of an increase in fitness campaigns in the country. However, we still find it difficult to produce elite female athletes from the region. What strategies are needed to create progress in the sports field?
- Sports Sponsorship & Education ⓘBillions of dollars are pumped every year in the sports industry. Sports do not only bring all cultures under one roof; it also affects people’s emotions and actions. By investing in sports—especially athletes—brands increase their ROIs as athletes have a positive influence over their local and global communities. However, investing in female Middle Eastern athletes is often undervalued, resulting in missed opportunities. What solutions are required to engage global brands with up and coming Arab female sportswomen?
- International Women’s Day ⓘPress for progress. Balance for better. There’s never been a great time for women demanding equal rights and positions. Amna has been involved in several events and activities revolving around IWD and Emirati Women’s day. She is often sought after to deliver a keynote on her journey and its impact on women in the region. Moreover, she has been requested to moderate panel discussions, driving the conversation forward.
- Gender-Balance Topics ⓘWomen in unconventional fields are often under a lot of scrutiny by the public and society. As a female weightlifting athlete from the U.A.E., Amna focuses on dispelling misconceptions around weightlifting being a masculine sport and focuses on the personal perks gained—physical and mental—from pursuing an unusual activity for women and excelling at it!
- Mental Health & Self-Care ⓘOne in four people are prone to suffer from mental illness. Mental disorders are a leading cause of disability and unproductivity in the world. The harmful labels of mental illness also add more pressure and stigma around seeking help and improving one’s situation. There is hope. You are not your illness.
- Social Impact of Sports ⓘSports play an important role in any individual’s socio-psychological development as it contributes to an increase in confidence, self-worth, resiliency, self-esteem, and dealing with failure. Consequently, it creates a community of people who are happy and feel positive towards life, resulting in less risky and anti-social behaviors. This results in productive individuals, economic growth, and an overall healthier ecosystem.
- Inclusive Diversity in OrganizationsⓘLearn the importance of diversity in the success of organizations and how inclusion can bring forth positive change and improve performance.
All speaking engagements by Amna are tailored to the audience, industry, length, and context in mind. Additionally, they can be shortened or expanded in a workshop format. Given her background in journalism and research, Amna has also been requested to moderate panels and MC several events.
Whether you are an organization, a school or hosting an event and looking for an awesome speaker, look no further—Amna has something for you!
Some of the topics that have impacted people’s lives are listed below.
LOOK AT AMNA'S MOST REQUESTED TOPICS
Being a successful leader starts with leading oneself. What are the secret ingredients required to control your life that can affect others? This is a talk aimed for students and corporations alike, who want to learn the must-have attitude and skills to improve themselves to become the CEO of their own lives and lead others into success.
Reaching a goal, despite how big or small the goal, is never linear. While pioneering a new path, there are no maps—only pure determination and sacrifice. During the speech, Amna will take the audience on a journey of her triumphs and pitfalls as she pursued the Olympics in unforgiving conditions and how she overcame obstacles.
There is no perfect moment to start anything. The time is NOW. Readiness is an illusion of the mind to satisfy perfection, which is unattainable. This talk will make the audience reflect on what’s stopping them from taking action and give them the tools necessary to take the first step to achieve success in their life or work.
A very personal and raw talk about turning pain into power, Amna will speak about her personal journey with mental health and how sports saved her. 1 out of 4 people suffer from mental illness. In today’s fast-paced world, each human has a limit for what they can handle. During this heart-to-heart talk with the audience, Amna will delve deeper into how she used her depression and turned it into a successful story through making a decision and taking action. This talk has been praised for giving hope.
In a fun and interactive session with kids, Amna will conduct a special reading of her story from Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, the international bestseller. This session is aimed at children between the ages 7 and 12. Parents are welcome to attend. Duration: 45 minutes–1.5hrs.
“The barbell does not recognize whether you are a man or a woman – it only recognizes whether you can lift it or not,” says Amna. Sports does not discriminate based on gender, nor should we. This talk tackles the misconceptions that surround ‘masculine sports’ and the harmful effects of labels on pursuing unconventional fields. Sports benefits society, reduces risky behavior, increases confidence, and provides overall wellbeing benefits. It’s time to dismantle the patriarchy in sports and recognize that sport is for everybody!
