Zainab Al-Eqabi

An accomplished TV presenter and parathlete, Zainab has overcome significant adversity to reach her current level. She had to adapt to a new way of life after suffering life-changing injuries as a child when an undetonated Gulf War bomb exploded in her family's garden in Baghdad when she was only 6 years old. After her injuries worsened in the hospital, Zainab had to have her left leg amputated.

This devastating accident affected her entire family, not just in the sense that both her father and younger sister were also physically injured but also emotionally, as they had to support Zainab in finding a new place for herself as an amputee in Middle Eastern society.

Despite the challenges Zainab faced, she has drawn on her experiences and focused her energy on helping others. An advocate for the rights of disabled people, she first caught media attention when she established a Facebook group called "Disabled and Proud" in response to the stigma she observed against disabled people throughout the Middle East. Today, she continues to use her social media platforms, with a following of over 1.5 million, to inspire and motivate the public, sharing her adventures and showing that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

Throughout her career, she has pursued a variety of sports from swimming to cycling and received particular attention when she trained to become a scuba diver. As a parathlete, she has completed two triathlons in the United Arab Emirates and the 2020 Dubai Fitness Challenge. Zainab is also a proud ambassador for the prosthetics manufacturer Ottobock, becoming the first woman in the Middle East to serve in this role.

A familiar face to many, she is also a popular TV host throughout the UAE, becoming the first amputee TV host in the Middle East on the show Yalla Banat on MBC1.

Zainab is a popular choice for inspirational and motivational speeches, thanks to her upbeat attitude and extensive experience on stage and in front of the camera. She speaks both English and Arabic, and her talks are always grounded in personal experience and her positive mindset when overcoming adversity.