Saudi Arabia gets its first batch of woman train drivers

Amid a series of reforms in Saudi Arabia, women have started driving the Makkah-Madinah Haramain Express Train.

A report in Saudi Gazette revealed that the first batch of 32 female drivers of the Haramain Express Train is fully trained to operate one of the fastest trains in the world.

The Saudi Railway celebrated the recent historic moment with a cinematic montage, showing women getting instructions from trainers and sharing their experiences with the world.

The women praised their achievement of becoming the first female train drivers in the Middle East and said it encouraged them to work carefully because they transport tourists and pilgrims.

https://twitter.com/SARSaudiRailway/status/1609489681972072448?

Earlier, a job ad for less than 30 loco drivers received 28,000 requests as employment opportunities for women have increased by 50% over the past five years as part of the Kingdom's 2030 program, which aims to minimize reliance on oil.

In 2017, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made major changes, including the first-ever approval of women to operate automobiles.

Kingdom also deployed female security officers on duty in holy sites to look after the worshippers and pilgrims and ensure that all precautionary measures are followed inside the Grand mosque.