A high-speed train carrying pilgrims to Makkah is being driven by driver Tharaa Ali, who was hired by Saudi Arabia in an effort to take advantage of the country’s rapidly growing female labour force. Women operate high-speed trains in Saudi Arabia.
Before recently, 25-year-old Ali’s only transportation experience consisted of driving around her hometown of Jeddah in the family sedan because Saudi women were only granted the privilege to drive in 2018.
But last year she joined some 28,000 applicants vying for just 32 slots for women drivers on the Haramain High Speed Railway, which plies the 450-kilometre route between the holy cities of Makkah and Madina at speeds of up to 300 kilometres per hour.
To her astonishment, the former English teacher was among the lucky few selected, and she completed her first trip last month.
“The first day working here was like a dream for me entering the train, entering the cabin,” she said.
“When you are in the cabin, you see things heading towards you at a very high speed. A feeling of fear and dread came over me, but thank God, with time and intensive training, I became confident in myself.”
The proportion of Saudi women in the workforce has more than doubled since 2016, from 17% to 37%. Women operate high-speed trains in Saudi Arabia.
The statistic feeds a narrative of expanding women’s rights under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, making it a reliable applause line at events like the World Economic Forum in Davos.
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