It was only this July that women in Saudi Arabia were finally allowed to enroll in flights schools, following the rescinding of a decades-long ban on female motorists that came into effect this summer. Now, a month later, Saudi Arabia is about to witness a rare moment in its history: Saudi female pilots commanding the skies. This week, the country’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) issued five licenses for Saudi female pilots, permitting them to work as captains on Saudi Arabian Airlines aircraft.
Over the past year, Saudi Arabia has been working on empowering its women and providing them with additional opportunities to work as part of its overall vision to diversify its economy and transform its society. The issuance of pilot licenses to Saudi women is seen as part of the country’s overall efforts and specifically of the GACA’s commitment to empower Saudi women to work in the aviation sector, which is one of the objectives of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
This year, the Oxford Aviation Academy, a leading trainer and crew recruiter, received applications from hundreds of women in Saudi Arabia hoping to start lessons in September at its branch in Dammam. According to Reuters, the academy is part of a $300 million project that includes a school for aircraft maintenance and an international center for flight simulators at the airport.
Hanadi al-Hindi
As Saudi Arabians celebrate the rise of women taking over industries on the ground, as well as those in the sky, it should be noted that the Kingdom’s official attitude has not always been that strict on female pilots as many believe. As Washington Post pointed out a few years back, Hanadi al-Hindi became the first Saudi woman to be licensed to fly in Saudi Arabia in 2014 and she has since been followed by others. Her license came a year after billionaire Saudi Prince Talal had cited her flying ability as evidence that Saudi women should be allowed to drive.
Ever since the decades-long ban on women driving was lifted in June, as part of sweeping reforms pushed by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, Saudi Arabia has been working on giving women more freedoms and rights tied to their newfound mobility.
