Mariam Al Safar The first Female Train drivers in the Middle East
Dubai – When women in Saudi Arabia banned and detained when driving a car, Mariam Al Safar, 28 years, instead become train machinist in the neighboring United Arab Emirates. Mariam pass the test as a crew on the Dubai Metro train advanced. This is the first woman who was behind the control of trains in the United Arab Emirates, and even the Middle East.
Dubai Metro was built in 2006. This train has automated equipment and has a control center. Dubai Metro does not have a machinist. But this train still requires manual operation to repair the system and anticipate accidents.
Mariam could be said as a machinist. She prepared a train, make sure the security system is running, and report to the control center Metro. She even checked the cleanliness of the passenger cabin. “I like a challenge and not afraid of risk,” said Mariam told Gulf News.
Mariam worked at Metro Dubai since 2009 as a logistics planner. She was then promoted to public relations, marketing executives, and passenger services supervisor. Veiled woman is even often shift work and get started at 3 pm.
According to her, women in the UAE is still tied to the work routine: leave at nine, came home at five. Mariam asked all the women began to consider the work that is considered unusual.
Dubai is a big city with a majority of expatriates around 80 percent. Work on Dubai Metro usually became owned by foreigners. Mariam, the veiled woman, breaking the habit. “Being a worker on the train helped me understand how to interact with people from different countries and cultures.”
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