An increased role for Saudi women in the civil aviation will come under the spotlight at the first-ever Women in Aviation (WIA) General Assembly that will take place on the sidelines of the 2nd Saudi Airport Exhibition (SAE) at Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center, on December 19.

The forum is being held at a time when the kingdom is witnessing accelerated development in the aviation domain. As Saudi Arabia accelerates civil aviation growth and development, the kingdom has continued breaking long-held barriers, with women empowerment remaining a key pillar towards achieving sustainable growth in the world’s 19th largest economy, said a statement.

Vision 2030 intends to increase women’s participation in the workforce to 30 per cent by 2030 – it currently stands at only 4 per cent, according to a study by the Department of Aviation and Management at Prince Sultan University.

“Under the wise guidance of King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Crown Prince, Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 paves the way for women to be provided equal opportunities across all economic sectors and emphasises that a prosperous, contemporary nation must inspire and empower all members of society, said HRH Prince Fahad bin Mishal bin Saud bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Chairman of the Aviation Association of the Gulf Cooperation Council States and Saudi Aviation Association.

“I look forward to welcoming you to Women in Aviation Middle East General Assembly and supporting our efforts to create a diverse national workforce that will lead our future aviation growth.”

A shift in aviation policy now allows hiring women as cabin crew and, enrollment in flight schools has surged with Saudi women actively seeking to become co-pilots.

A flying academy in Dammam has opened its doors to Saudi women for the very first time and Saudi women pilots have obtained licences to work as captains with Saudia, the national carrier that already had over 500 Saudi women on its payroll.

Up to three dozen Saudi women have now been employed as flight attendants by airlines as part of an initiative to create 10,000 air transport sector jobs for Saudis.

As many as 28 professions in the air transport sector have been reserved for Saudi nationals, including pilots, flight attendants and air traffic controllers. The flag carrier has achieved 100 per cent ‘Saudisation’ of all its co-pilot positions and for the first time now, more females than males are pursuing graduation.

Over 250 Saudi students completed ATC training in New Zealand under a programme by the Saudi Air Navigation Services (SANS) that is actively working towards creating more job opportunities for women in the ATC sector – the first cohort of female ATCs started work in Jeddah in March 2019.

In May 2022, flyadeal operated Saudi Arabia’s first domestic flight with an all-female crew which included one of the youngest Saudi women pilots. In 2022, the number of Saudi employees in passenger air transport was around 7,000. The total number of Saudi employees in airports stood at 7,105, along with about 1,028 in freight transport and 5,272 in cargo handling. 

Mervat Sultan, one of the first Arab women to obtain a flight dispatcher’s licence and a Co-founder and President of the Middle East Chapter of Women in Aviation International, said: “We will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of our Middle East Chapter at the event, encouraging women to seek wider opportunities as the Saudi aviation industry goes through an enormous period of expansion and growth.”

Panel discussions at the conference will focus on Women's Empowerment under Vision 2030; Challenges & Opportunities for Women in the Digital Aviation Ecosystem and Establishing a Pathway for Women to Participate in Aviation Careers while other topics covered include Empowering Women in Training and the Workplace; Enhancing Customer Experience by Improving Operational Metrics and Delivering New-Age Solutions for the Travel and Logistics Sectors.

The event will conclude with a Women in Aviation Middle East Awards Ceremony honouring key individuals and organisations that have contributed to aviation growth and women in aviation initiatives in the Middle East. – TradeArabia News Service