Meet the UAE youngsters already making their mark

Age really is just a number for these little legends. From summiting some of the world's toughest peaks to publishing their own comic book and helping build a soda brand, these four youngsters from the UAE are proving big things really do come in small packages. 

Fatima Al Awadhi, 19 - the mountaineer chasing the Seven Summits

Most 19-year-olds are worrying about exams. Fatima Al Awadhi just climbed to 7,134 metres without supplementary oxygen.

The Emirati mountaineer has already bagged some serious milestones. She's the youngest Arab to summit Mount Vinson and Carstensz Pyramid, and the youngest Emirati to summit Mount Elbrus. Last month, she achieved her most ambitious milestone yet, becoming the first Emirati to summit Lenin Peak in Kyrgyzstan's Pamir Mountains and the youngest Arab known to have climbed above 7,000 metres.

It's all part of her bid to complete the Seven Summits before she turns 20, all while juggling a full-time Economics degree. Her mountaineering journey started as a way of coping with a difficult period in her life when her father was in a coma and she joined the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. A trek through Nepal's Kathmandu Valley later, she discovered a passion for mountaineering that would shape her future.

"My journey goes beyond summits and records," she says. "I hope my story encourages others to say yes to unfamiliar paths and step outside their comfort zones."

Next on her list? Everest and Lhotse, back to back, within 24 hours.

Sultan AlWahshi, 8 - the youngest author published by Sandstorm Comics

Forget the school reading list - eight-year-old Sultan AlWahshi has already earned a spot on the bookshelf with his first published children's book. 

The young Emirati pitched his story idea to Sandstorm Comics, Abu Dhabi's first dedicated comic book studio, which invites creators of any age to send in original concepts to its open submission programme. His book, Sultan's Time Travel Adventure, follows a young astronaut who gets pulled through a black hole and lands in the year 3045, surrounded by flying cars and robot families.

The story impressed the editorial team enough to become a professionally published children's book, with Sultan working alongside illustrator Greg Baldwin - whose credits include Ratchet & Clank as well as projects for Marvel and Disney - to bring it to life.

He's now officially the youngest author published by the studio. 

Sultan's Time Travel Adventure is available here

AlDhabi AlMheiri, 12 - the AI expert teaching kids how to use it responsibly

At an age when most kids are still figuring out fractions, AlDhabi AlMheiri is already the world's youngest IBM-certified AI engineer. 

She's turned that qualification into AI Learning Academy - her way of helping other kids understand AI instead of just messing around with it. And that's the bit she cares about most.

"What excites me most is that AI gives children access to knowledge, creativity, and opportunities like never before," she says. "But my biggest concern is that many people use AI without fully understanding it."

Her point is that AI education shouldn't just be about the tech - kids need the ethics and critical thinking side too.

She's also got several youth-focused projects on the go, including Rainbow Chimney, Eco Club UAE and Finance for Kids. Her work has earned her a Guinness World Record, and even reached as far as The Gambia, where a school dedicated a whole day to her story and initiatives. 

Her advice for anyone wanting to start their own thing: "Start before you feel ready. Your first idea does not need to be perfect. Every successful project started as a simple idea that someone was brave enough to try."

Kyler and Theon Evertse, 9 and 11 - the kids shaping a soda brand

Somewhere in the UAE, there's a soda brand where the final say on every flavour belongs to a 9-year-old and an 11-year-old.

Meet Kyler and Theon Evertse, Drippy's official Chief Soda Officers. The brother duo help shape everything from flavours and packaging, to colour choices at the UAE homegrown soda brand. The soda is made without caffeine or added sugar and contains added Vitamin C - but if the boys don't like a flavour, it doesn't go ahead. If the can doesn't look fun enough, it goes back to the drawing board. 

Led by mum, Lourds Adalia-Evertse, the brand is built around getting real feedback from actual kids instead of guessing what they'd like. 

Kyler has even branched out on his own, running a lemonade stand at his local park to test out drink ideas on other kids.

Drippy has now launched on a small scale at Spice Grill restaurants across the UAE, with more flavours in the pipeline.