Female train drivers of Haramain railway embody Saudi Arabia’s rapid social transformation

JEDDAH: Ayah Abdulrahman Taher, 28, from Makkah, is one of 34 female train drivers who recently began working on the Haramain high-speed railway between Saudi Arabia’s holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.

Her success in this traditionally male-dominated industry is indicative of the massive social transformation underway in the Kingdom, thanks to reforms implemented since 2016 as part of Saudi Vision 2030.

Taher studied English literature at university but jumped at the opportunity to begin an exciting career with the Kingdom’s railways when she learned of a new, year-long training scheme.

“I never thought this would be a profession I would do, but when the opportunity came, I wanted to be one of the first women in Saudi Arabia to drive a train,” Taher told Arab News.

More than 28,000 women applied for the limited number of roles when they were first announced in January 2022. Of these, 14,000 completed the first phase of the selection process and underwent an on-site examination at the Saudi Railway Polytechnic in Qassim.

“It feels wonderful to be driving the train but also a big responsibility for us,” said Taher. “Despite the responsibilities of driving a train full of people, we see how proud people are of us and this makes us proud too.”

The Haramain railway, which began service in October 2018, shuttles pilgrims and visitors to the Grand Mosque of Makkah.

The women’s training program, which commenced in March 2022, includes 1,157 hours of theoretical and practical modules covering everything from technical issues and traffic control to health and safety regulations.

Practical training involves 674 hours of driving monitored by supervisors from Renfe KSA, one of the companies operating the high-speed train