Watch: Saudi dad overjoyed as daughter graduates as cadet

Cairo: A proud Saudi father struggled to hold back tears as he celebrated his daughter’s graduation from the King Fahd Security College, where she was among 425 female cadets.

“I am trying to hold back my tears. It is difficult for a man to cry, whether in joy or sadness,” said the father of cadet Renad Alaa Al Din, his voice quivering with emotion. “Today feels like Eid for me. It’s as if my daughter has been reborn.”

Speaking to Saudi TV Al Ekhbariya, he expressed his immense pride, crediting his wife and family for supporting Renad’s journey. His daughter will now join her brother, an army doctor, in serving the nation.

Renad, equally elated, stood tall in her uniform. “I feel immense pride and honor for myself and my colleagues,” she said, after completing a basic individual qualification course. “I pray that we continue to succeed and be guided.”

Saudi Arabia has taken significant steps toward women’s empowerment in recent years, allowing them to serve in the military since 2019. Other landmark reforms include lifting the driving ban in 2018 and granting women the right to travel and apply for passports without male guardianship.

This milestone marks yet another step forward for Saudi women breaking barriers in traditionally male-dominated fields.