Personal History Statement
      During my time at high school in Dubai, UAE, I was mainly interested in science and did well in physics and math. This, combined with my father’s background as an Agricultural Engineer, made me decide to study engineering. I chose civil engineering for two main reasons. Firstly, I have always enjoyed reading and watching documentaries about mega structures. Secondly, the UAE is a rapidly expanding, vibrant city and the diversity of construction is truly amazing.
	While studying at the American University of Sharjah, I have managed to complete my BS in Civil Engineering in 7 semesters and 3 summer sessions which means I had to take a full load each semester. This made me able to undertake huge amounts of work and excel in them. On top of that, I used to help my colleagues at the university in their preparation for exams and projects especially ones related to the structures courses. In fact, I enjoy teaching and I would like to make teaching as a career for me, and this is one of my reasons to do a Masters Degree and then PhD. 
      The diverse society that I was involved in during my studies at the American University of Sharjah was an extremely helpful in expanding my hopes and ambitions. During a period of 4 years, I met people from many different nationalities and I was able to manage a good relation with them. Not only this but also I had the ability to work effectively with them in teams on the assigned projects. 
      In the UAE, the percentage of local experts on the area of civil engineering is really low and the policies that are trying to involve locals in industry face the problem of the lack of Emirates locals with high degrees and certificates. Having said this, I hope to benefit and give back to my county and to increase the number of highly qualified locals in the society.