Saudi Arabia is celebrating the achievements of the women who will soon be driving the kingdom's bullet trains, after completing their first stage of training in 2022.
Saudi Railway (SAR) released a video of the 32 graduates from the first training phase on New Year's Day.
They are now on track to be the first women to drive SAR's trains.
Officials hope their achievements will inspire and empower other women to pursue a career with the railway.
“Today, we are recording a new step in terms of localising competencies and empowering women in our pioneering sector,” said Minister of Transport and Logistic Services Saleh Al Jasser.
Trainees completed more than 480 hours of training in areas including theory, work hazards, traffic and safety regulations and other technical aspects. This first phase was completed last August.
After a year of training, the women will drive bullet trains on the 453km Haramain high-speed line between the cities of Makkah and Madinah.
Mr Al Jasser said women in the workforce are vital to the country, and that in the coming months, highly trained and qualified Saudi women will be driving trains between the holy cities.
The transport sector is working to increase the proportion of Saudis in the workforce.
In aviation, recruitment of pilots and air traffic controllers has been localised.
Eighteen other jobs in transport will be localised this year.
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
