“There is a connection between me and the structures. In each building, I strive to maintain its essence. I feel that the city is thankful to me, and I am grateful to the city for teaching me so much,” explains Harbia Al-Himiary, a Yemeni engineer, as she describes her bond with the Yemeni capital.
Since childhood, Ms. Al-Himiary has been determined to fulfill her dream of preserving the heritage of Sana’a and ensuring the “continuity of our history, one of the greatest civilizations.”
As a project officer for the Cultural Heritage Unit of the Historic Cities Authority in Old Sana’a, she is currently leading a UN-supported project to restore numerous historic buildings in Sana’a and throughout Yemen.
“There is no distinction between genders when it comes to preserving this historical city,” she asserts, emphasizing the mutual respect among all team members and the local residents. “Although we face challenges and obstacles, we overcome them together as a team. Now, there are many female engineers working on the project, proving their competitiveness in this field and contributing to the preservation of this treasure.”
In every project, Ms. Al-Himiary strives to create opportunities for women and girls. “For instance, when I was stationed in the old town of Zabid, we trained several girls in traditional building crafts such as woodworking, wood decorations, stucco decorations, and carpentry. As we opened up more training opportunities, we noticed an equal participation of both boys and girls. In some trades, girls even outnumbered boys.”
When she asked one of the girls why she was learning traditional carpentry, the girl replied that by restoring the wooden decorations in her home, she was exercising her rights as a homeowner and preserving her family’s privacy.
“My advice to any girl is to pursue her passion, because as long as she loves what she does, she will undoubtedly succeed,” declares the engineer. “With patience, hard work, and determination, you can achieve any goal you set for yourself.”