Is there anything Saudi women can’t do anymore? Probably not! Following Saudi Arabia’s decision to offer up positions to qualified female pilots, the kingdom’s aviation industry is consistently taking positive steps to gain gender equality.
Just weeks after 2018’s driving ban for women being lifted, Saudi Arabia’s Oxford Aviation Academy opened up its doors to female pilot applicants, and now for the first time, domestic airline Flynas is recruiting female flight attendants.
Set to take off this month, is a flight with the airline, complete with its first batch of female graduates who will have completed the Saudi flight program. Flynas told the Saudi Gazette newspaper, “The first group graduating from the Saudi flight program is a continuation of programs to localize aviation and empower women.” The local airline are also sympathetic to the needs of their female employees as they aim to factor in guidelines in accordance with the kingdom’s customs and values, including working hours that are not disruptive to family time and respectful uniforms.
The Riyadh based airline intends to grow it’s squadron of flight attendants and is looking to recruit over 300 men and women over the next two years – with the requirement that the applicants must be Saudi nationals. Flynas has also spoken about their intent to employ Saudi women to work as co-pilots, as the company’s CEO, Bander Al Mohanna stated, “The move aims to enable Saudi women to have a greater role in supporting the Kingdom’s economy.”
According to Arab News, it is predicted that women will make up 28% of Saudi Arabia’s workforce by 2020.
