Riyadh: Of late women in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh were seen behind the wheels, ‘steering their way’ as the country officially lifted ban on female driving on June 23. However, from now on they will also be seen in the cockpits as the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) that allows them to work as captains on Saudi Arabian Airlines aircraft.
As part of its drive to empower Saudi women to work in the aviation sector in line with the objectives of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), GACA has granted licenses to five Saudi women pilots.
Although around 500 Saudi women are employed by Saudi, the kingdom’s national carrier, mainly in the financial and IT departments and the reservation section, none of them are pilots.