Thirty-two Saudi women graduate to pilot express train

Dubai: The Saudi Railway Company, SAR, is celebrating the graduation of 32 Saudi women comprising the first batch of female drivers of the Haramain Express Train. The women have qualified to pilot one of the fastest trains in the world.

SAR shared a video on its official account on Twitter showing part of the training operations which the trainees undergo to be qualified to drive trains.

Mohannad Shaker, the trainer and train captain, said the Haramain Train is keen to train its men and women captains to achieve the highest standards of safety and security.

The graduates expressed their pride in having this opportunity to become the first female train drivers in the Middle East. They confirmed that transporting pilgrims and visitors gives them motivation to work with great care.

One of the women indicated that they have been trained to drive the Haramain Express Train using a simulator,  as it contains a real driving cabin, through which all weather factors and technical problems that they may encounter while driving the train are fully tested, in order to help and prepare them for the real trips.

The Transport General Authority said that qualifying Saudi women to become Haramain Express train drivers is part of the Kingdom’s vision to empower women in the transport and logistics sector.