In a first of its kind, women-only crew operates flight in Saudi Arabia
May 24, 2022, 11:59 am

In a first of its kind, women-only crew operates flight in Saudi Arabia

Saudia airlines Twitter account

In a first of its kind, a flight in Saudi Arabia has been operated by a crew comprising only women. This comes as the winds of change in the Kingdom are not limited to just opening the markets for international trade, as now the effects are clearly visible in the society there.

Officials said that Saudi Arabia’s first such flight was operated last week, completing a short domestic journey and crossing a milestone for women’s empowerment. The flight was operated by flyadeal Airlines, a budget subsidiary of Saudia, the flag carrier of Saudi Arabia.

The airline tweeted: “For the first time in Saudi aviation history, #flyadeal operated the first flight with an all-female crew, most of whom were Saudis, by the latest A320 aircraft. Flight 117 took off from Riyadh and flew to Jeddah."

According to airline spokesman Imad Iskandarani, most of the seven-member crew were from Saudi Arabia, including Yara Jan, who is reportedly also the youngest Saudi female pilot.

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The country’s civil aviation authority, which ratified the announcement, has been working towards expanding roles for women in the sector over the years.

Last year, data showed that women’s participation in the state’s workforce rose to 33 per cent at the end of 2020, up from 19 per cent in 2016. Saudi Arabia aims to generate an investment of 356 billion riyal ($95 billion) in its aviation sector by 2030.

Saudi Arabia‘s national aviation sector is working to increase the connectivity from Saudi Arabia to 250 destinations.

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The goals include tripling annual traffic to 330 million passengers by the end of the decade, attracting $100 billion in investment to the region by 2030, installing a new national flag carrier, building a new airport in Riyadh etc.

Source: wefornews

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”