Kuumar Shyam (Abu Dhabi)
When the final notes of the music faded inside the cool expanse of Zayed Sports City Ice Rink, 12-year-old Sarah bin Karam took a deep breath, looked around at the cheering crowd, and smiled. For her, this wasn’t just another figure skating competition.
As one of the seven rounds in the Junior Grand Prix, hosted for the first time in the Middle East, it was a moment that saw her love for the sport get that homely emotional connect to her ice-skating dream and passion.
“I started skating after watching a TV show,” Sarah recalled with a laugh. “At first, I couldn’t even move forward without falling, but then I just loved it too much to stop.” That love soon turned into a disciplined routine – 6am sessions before school, Zoom lessons with her coach, and weekends training for four hours in Dubai.
Like many young Emiratis in a sport still finding its roots in the desert, Sarah’s motivation goes beyond trying to emulate her role model – Zahra Lari, the pioneer for Emirati women and an international athlete who competed for the UAE with the hijab.
For Sarah, it is also the complete experience. “It’s my way to express myself,” she said, “I really like to design my programs - pick the music, design my dress, plan everything.” But she also admits the pressures can be intense and is still a work in progress. “Before I compete, I feel really nervous. Sometimes nauseous. It’s what I have to work on most.”
It will not be easy, but her efforts are getting full marks, with the best support possible from her parents and brother, a referee in ice hockey. Her Father Fahad bin Karam works with the Abu Dhabi Airport Company.
Both parents are always busy, from school pickup and drops to driving up and down to Dubai over the weekends. In the little time space left, Sarah has been to five countries already to participate in boot camps or special training sessions by experts in figure skating.
Meanwhile, at the Junior Grand Prix event in Abu Dhabi, Sarah’s teammate Marie Bierwert made history by qualifying for the World Junior Figure Skating Championships – the first Emirati female athlete ever to do so. For Lari, who helped bring the event to the UAE, that milestone was a deeply personal victory.
“We made history twice,” Zahra said proudly. “The first history was that we hosted the event. The second was that an Emirati skater qualified for Junior Worlds. It’s a huge accomplishment.”
As the first Emirati woman to compete internationally, Lari knows what it takes to carve new paths. Now part of the UAE Winter Sports Federation and an organiser of the Abu Dhabi event, she has been working since 2019 to make such moments possible. “It was a long process – we applied to the International Skating Union, proved that the UAE is active in the sport, and showed that we could host major competitions,” she explained.
“We faced challenges [like when COVID-19 derailed the process and had to start again, but everyone worked together. The International Skating Union trusted us.”
That teamwork has paid off. The event drew international praise for its organisation and hospitality, with 35 competitors in women’s singles and 12 in pairs. Beyond medals, though, it marked a visible step forward for a sport that once seemed unlikely in a desert country.
“We’ve shown that it can be done,” Zahra said. “And now, with young girls like Sarah and Marie coming through, the next generation is ready to take it further.”
Sarah agrees. “I’m so proud to skate for my country,” she said. “When people cheer, I feel like I’m representing all the girls who want to try something new.”
From Zahra’s pioneering strides on international ice to the efforts of Sarah and Marie, the UAE’s skating story continues to glide forward – graceful, determined, and full of promise.
