Dubai: Over 80 female taxi drivers will soon be employed in the four main airports of Saudi Arabia.
The airports include King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, and Prince Muhammad International Airport in Medina.
This is part of the “Woman’s Track” phase of an initiative launched by Saudi Arabia’s Transport General Authority (TGA) and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) to empower women in the transport industry, Al Watan newspaper reported.
The TGA will sign three agreements with major companies licensed to operate airport taxis to employ these women drivers. The second phase of the initiative will expand to include all other airports in the Kingdom. The initiative includes collaboration with a specialised driving centre to develop a comprehensive training programme for acquiring basic skills in driving cabs, as well as soft skills such as customer service, decorum, first aid, and English language.
The Tawteen Program-2 will provide support to empower national cadres and improve the experience of beneficiaries, including visitors and travellers. The TGA is committed to supporting job creation, increasing local content, and promoting the role of women in Saudisation programmes in the transport sector to promote GDP growth.
The authority and the MRHSD aim to localise jobs in the transport and logistics sector, with this initiative being one of several nationalisation initiatives to support the empowerment of women in various fields.
