Riyadh Air, the forthcoming national carrier of Saudi Arabia, has achieved a significant milestone on its journey toward its inaugural flight in 2025 by enrolling its first cohort of 27 pioneering female students in a 30-month diploma course. These individuals are embarking on a path to become certified aircraft engineering technicians, marking a groundbreaking move for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Under the supervision of Aviation Australia and the International Aviation Technical College at Riyadh Airport, female engineers will receive instruction—an unprecedented development facilitated by an MOU signed between Riyadh Air and the Colleges of Excellence in August 2023, marking the initial step in a series of collaborations between the entities.
Chosen from a pool of thousands of applicants, these aspiring engineers are all Saudi high school graduates with impressive academic records. Riyadh Air's commitment to inclusivity is evident in its decision to exclusively enrol female trainee engineers in its inaugural apprenticeship program, underscoring the airline's dedication to promoting gender diversity within its ranks.
During a visit to Riyadh Airport, senior leaders from Riyadh Air, including CEO Tony Douglas, Australian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia H.E. Mark Donovan, and Engineer Ajman Abdullah, CEO of Colleges of Excellence, met with the trainee engineers. Currently, female aircraft maintenance engineers and technicians represent only 3.0% of the global workforce, according to ICAO statistics. Riyadh Air aims to address the projected shortage of qualified maintenance workers by tapping into the expanding talent pool of Saudi women eager to pursue non-traditional roles in the industry.
H.E. Mark Donovan, the Australian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, lauded the initiative, expressing his satisfaction at witnessing the participation of women in the Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Program. He praised Australia's leading education sector for facilitating women's economic empowerment, aligning with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 initiative.
