2nd Saudi Arabian woman secures commercial pilot licence

[Al Bhatti]

July 5, 2014

Yasmeen, 23, has fulfilled her dream. She was trained in flying academies in Jordan and the US and recently became the second Saudi woman to receive a commercial pilot licence.

Yasmeen with her ‘idol’ Abdullah Al Sayed, CEO of Nexus Flight operations.


Second Saudi Arabian woman secures commercial pilot licence
So far, two of them have obtained commercial pilot licences this year

Yasmeen Mohammad Al Mainmani started to dream about flying when she was just seven years old. She was not particularly dreaming of being a captain, as she was not sure what she wanted to be — a hostess or a pilot.

But she still can recall how she loved flying at a young age.

Today, 23-year-old Yasmeen has fulfilled her dream. She was trained in flying academies in Jordan and the US and recently became the second Saudi women to receive a commercial pilot licence.

“After God, my family has the biggest role,” Yasmeen told Gulf News on the phone from Jeddah. “They stood next to me and supported me. I owe all this to my family.”

“My father took my hand and travelled with me to Jordan after I completed high school” in 2009 to join the flying academy, Yasmeen said.

She is happy to know that she was the only student in her class to join such an academy after, according to her estimates, between 30 per cent and 40 per cent of her classmates said they wanted to be pilots.

“I found myself alone. It was a big shock for me,” she said with a laugh.

“Why should I object? It is a normal thing ” asked Mohammad Yousuf Al Mainmani, Yasmeen’s father when asked about his reaction to his daughter’s plans to enter the aviation field.

“God willing, there will be no field closed in the face of Saudi women in the near future” he added to Gulf News.

Al Mainmani, a businessman and father of 12 children, expressed his “extreme happiness” at his daughter’s success in getting the commercial pilot licence.

In 2010, Yasmeen got a private pilot licence from Amman, and returned home in Jeddah, hoping to get a scholarship to continue her education. She said she preferred to be “independent” and not to seek financial help from her family.

“I tried everything but got nothing,” she said.

She worked for Rabigh Wings Aviation Academy for a year. And, because of the media attention on her, Yasmeen became known and got an offer from Aerosim Flight Academy in the US to be their ambassador to the Middle East.

She was also offered a scholarship to be trained in the US to obtain an auto commercial pilot licence. She travelled to Florida and continued her education.

After completion of her training in June 2013, she returned to Jeddah, where she joined Nexus Company for flight operation services.

Recently, she passed the practical and oral tests of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) in Saudi Arabia and got the commercial pilot licence to become the second Saudi woman to obtain what was looked at in the past as unthinkable.

Hanadi Zakaria Al Hindi was the first Saudi woman to become a commercial airline pilot. She received all her licences from abroad, but only got the Saudi one earlier this year.

Before 2014, women were not allowed to take the test to receive the licence. Women were simply not allowed to join aviation.

Still Yasmeen has not been given the green light to fly a commercial plane. She is waiting for an opening to apply for a job as she meets all the requirements. Meanwhile, she continues logging on flying hours.

The required flying hours differ from one company to another. They range from a few hundreds to a few thousand.

Meanwhile, she dreams of flying one of the planes of her current employer, Nexus. She hopes she can ask the CEO, Abdullah Al Sayed, CEO of Nexus Flight operations, to join her.

“He is my idol, and that is why I would like him to be on the plane I am flying,”

The number of women captains are still very low even in other Arab countries where women are allowed to obtain the licence and take the captain’s seat of a commercial plane.

Asked about the people’s general preference for a male captain in planes, she paused before responding. “Both men and women receive the same training. I don’t think you need big muscles to carry the plane on your head. The whole aviation field is about knowledge and information. It is about how much you know the system. It is all about knowledge.”

Second Saudi Arabian woman secures commercial pilot licence | GulfNews.com

 

[al-Hasani]

Good for both. Let's hope that they both can perform just as well as the male pilots out there.

I am still not a fan of women in the military and as fighting pilots. Commercial pilots is something entirely differently though. No problem with that.

US airline names Maimani as its ambassador


​

By Omniah Khudhari
Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH - A major American airline has nominated a Saudi woman pilot to be its ambassador. Captain Yasmin Maimani, who took training courses in Jordan to pilot private jets, told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that she has loved flying since she was a child. “I didn’t like playing with dolls. I always bought toy airplanes. So a high school friend encouraged me to take an aviation course after finishing high school.”She currently works at the operations department of a private aviation academy. Her father has been an influencing figure in her life and encouraged her to be a pilot despite objections from some of her family members.She says: “I was chosen to be an ambassador for an American airlines company and will complete my studies in the US to get an aviation license. I will also work as an aviation instructor and apply for a higher-degree license.”Yasmin hopes to become a pilot working for Saudi Arabian Airlines. Although she applied for a license to fly in Saudi skies at the Civil Aviation Authority two years ago, her application has not been approved yet. “My dream is not just to get a private jet pilot’s license. I want to be one of the most famous pilots in the world.”

US airline names Maimani as its ambassador | Front Page | Saudi Gazette

 

[raptor22]

While Saudi women are struggling to drive their own car this could be considered as a leap for them I hope her application get approved asap.

 

[OrionHunter]

Women's empowerment!!

But why do they have to wear a head scarf even whilst flying within the privacy of the cockpit?

 

[Serpentine]

Women's empowerment!!

But why do they have to wear a head scarf even whilst flying within the privacy of the cockpit?

Because she is posing for the camera!

and there is always someone behind the camera.

 

[OrionHunter]

Because she is posing for the camera!

and there is always someone behind the camera.

Right! Now why didn't I think of that? So she takes it off before take-off!!

 

[al-Hasani]

While Saudi women are struggling to drive their own car this could be considered as a leap for them I hope her application get approved asap.

That's because of the moronic "law" which is not really a law to begin with. Vast majority of the people do not support it but due to a few powerful retarded and old clerics this "law" is upheld. Yet dozens of women are driving in KSA each week and many are not stopped and when stopped they are mostly just given a warning.

On the countryside it's normal.

Expect this "law" to change in the very near future.

You can see the complete retardness of that law. Women can fly planes but not yet drive cars. I have discussed this "law" with people who were somehow in favor of it due to the safety and all other excuses.

That "law" has given KSA a very bad publicity and hides the fact that many laws are good and work. It makes it sound like women have absolutely no rights while Saudi Arabian women are the majority at the universities, colleges etc. Or that they often get very pampered and lack very little and keep getting more influence for each year which is very good. Outside of a few laws that I do not support.

Those videos below are a bunch of hot air on many cases though but people from across the world base their opinions on such videos without knowing the ground realities fully:

This is more correct:

You should watch them to get the other side as well.

Women's empowerment!!

But why do they have to wear a head scarf even whilst flying within the privacy of the cockpit?

Why should they not wear a normal headscarf? What is wrong with that? It does not harm their abilities behind the cockpit at all. Most women also wear headscarf's out of their free will and due to religion and tradition.

I don't understand what headscarf's have done that is so bad? I have 3 sisters. 2 elder and 1 younger. Only two of them are wearing a headscarf. And they have all kinds of colorful headscarfs for all occasions and otherwise wear modern clothes like other prosperous and well-educated women of our time. They are also interested in fashion etc. like most women.

But this headscarf obsession must stop. Tired of it, sorry.

 

[OrionHunter]

Why should they not wear a normal headscarf? What is wrong with that? It does not harm their abilities behind the cockpit at all. Most women also wear headscarf's out of their free will and due to religion and tradition.

I don't understand what headscarf's have done that is so bad? I have 3 sisters. 2 elder and 1 younger. Only two of them are wearing a headscarf. And they have all kinds of colorful headscarfs for all occasions and otherwise wear modern clothes like other prosperous and well-educated women of our time. They are also interested in fashion etc. like most women.

But this headscarf obsession must stop. Tired of it, sorry.

Arre bhai! I have nothing against the head scarf. It does look nice and dandy. But wearing one whilst flying must interfere with the headgear for communications etc. It probably is uncomfortable too when the temperature rises in an unpressurized cockpit.

 

[mehboobkz]

 

[al-Hasani]

@mehboobkz

Clown troll. Really?

Saudi Girl in her Bedroom by Alixianne, on Flickr

Thuwal Saudi Arabia by 350.org, on Flickr

All photos from KSA. Quit spreading ignorant nonsense. You don't know anything about the ground realities.

Also any sane person can see that those two individuals are not related.

 

[FaujHistorian]

I have said it before and I say it again.

Saudi society in general, and women in particular are going through HUGE transformation at a breakneck speed.

There is a "tear down the Mllahtic wall" slogans reverberating in the society.

And soon this wall will be toppled. Those discriminatory practices like denial of driver licenses will go away.


During the last 40 years or so KSA has lived through a time not too different from the time of Queen Victoria.

I believe Saudi "victorian" period is about to be over.

And the HUGE advantage in case of Saudi Arabia is that it sits on top of religious narrative,

But the religion is not in the hands of almighty Ayatullah. Instead a relatively middle of the road King is driving the story.

Mullahs in Saudi may be powerful, but their power is in the hand of King.

Whereas in Iran it is the other way around.

And Saudi Kingdom has channeled his country very carefully in the last 40 years.

Women and girls have been given education just like boys. No discrimination there.

So now is the time to reap the benefits of liberation that may happen in 10 years or may be 20 years or may be much sooner. These kind of things are very hard to predict.


there is one danger, and one HUGE danger lurking in this change (like it is always),

That youth in KSA may force their country into a socialist state with a revolution a la Gamal Nasir.

But the chances so for are kind of low for this type of revolution.

So KSA has a bright future in terms of economic and social trends during next 2-3 decades.


Peace.


p.s. Reference to Ayatullah is for example only. No intention to turn this thread into Arab-iran $hit shoveling.

p.p.s. KSA has another danger of escalating Shia-Sunni tussle similar to Bahrain or Iraq and Suadis need to keep an eye on it. They need to allow Saudi Shias lot more than what they are getting now.

 

[al-Hasani]

@FaujHistorian

Since 2005 (people can google what happened that year themselves) the period has been categorized by reforms on many fronts despite overall instability in the region.

This will only continue in the near future and long-term. Even some of the most powerful conservative clerics are realizing this.

KSA has a very bright future if conflict can be avoided.

More Saudi Arabians studying in the U.S.​

The number of Saudi students in the U.S. last year grew to 44,566, a nearly 30% increase from 2011, largely fueled by a new scholarship program that encourages them to study abroad.

November 24, 2013|By Jason Song

Noura Islam, a sophomore at UC Irvine from Saudi Arabia, chose the school… (Spencer Bakalar, Los Angeles…)​

At first glance, the Facebook photo doesn't look like a USC alumni gathering: No cardinal and gold in sight, not a single Tommy Trojan to be found.

But, on closer inspection, it's apparent that half of the smiling men are flashing the Trojan "victory" sign.

"At USC, you quickly develop a sense of pride being a top university," said Bahjat Zayed, the past president of the 120-member USC Alumni Club of Arabia, one of the university's fastest growing graduate groups.

The club is one sign of the rapid rise of Saudi Arabians studying in the United States. Those numbers fell dramatically after the Sept. 11 attacks; the number of Saudi students dropped by almost a quarter in 2002 and continued to fall for the next two years.

But the numbers have grown steadily since 2005 and doubled from the 2010 to 2012 academic years, according to a recent survey. The number of Saudi students in the U.S. last year grew to 44,566 — a nearly 30% increase from 2011.

The country ranked behind only China, India and South Korea in the number of students studying in U.S. colleges and universities.

Experts say the change is largely fueled by a new Saudi Arabian scholarship program that encourages students to study abroad. Other countries have adopted similar programs. Of the four nations that made the biggest percentage gains in the recent survey, Kuwait and Brazil also offered government-sponsored scholarship programs.

"Countries that are trying to leap from their population into a 21st century economy need to do that very rapidly and they don't have the capacity in their own universities," said Peggy Blumenthal, senior counselor to the president of the Institute of International Education, which conducted the recent survey in partnership with the U.S. State Department.

When King Abdullah assumed the Saudi Arabian crown in 2005, he began to emphasize science education and foreign travel as a way to modernize the country. The scholarship program offers qualified students free tuition, travel funding and expenses, according to media reports and students, and has made it possible for middle-class students to go abroad.

Traditionally, only children from wealthy Saudi families moved out of the country for college. Osama bin Laden's father, a billionaire construction magnate, sent more than a quarter of his 54 children to study in America and other foreign countries, according to "The Bin Ladens," a history of the family.

The government requires females to be accompanied by a male relative, although many students say that compliance is not strictly enforced.

Officials with the Saudi Arabian Cultural Ministry, which oversees the scholarship program in the United States, did not return calls for comment.

Several Saudi students studying in the U.S. said it would have been difficult for them to do so without the financial assistance.

Public U.S. colleges prize foreign students, especially during tough economic times, because they pay more in tuition than American citizens.

Reem Alattas grew up in western Saudi Arabia and enjoyed studying cognitive science, which examines brain processes, but knew that no colleges in Saudi Arabia offered programs in it.

The daughter of an aviation engineer, Alattas thought it would be difficult for her family to afford to send her overseas to study and she assumed she would stay in Saudi Arabia.

But she heard of other students who had received financial aid to study abroad. Her parents, who had studied in the United States during college, encouraged her to apply.

She received a scholarship but did not apply to U.S. schools right away. Like many of her classmates, Alattas went to a college prep program at Virginia Tech for a year after high school. She lived in an apartment with other Saudi students while improving her English and also took the SAT and other college admissions tests.

Alattas decided to go to UC Berkeley, where she is now a sophomore and intends on majoring in cognitive science. "I like that it's very diverse and multicultural and that people are not afraid to identify themselves," Alattas said. "It's a very intellectual place."

One of Alattas' Virginia Tech classmates, Noura Islam, chose UC Irvine for its engineering program and because "I'm a beach person," she said.

The number of Saudi students at Irvine has almost tripled since 2010, going from eight to 23 this year.

By comparison, there were 172 Saudi Arabians last fall at USC, almost five times more than in 2007.

Islam said the transition has been relatively seamless, although figuring out how to get around in Orange County has been difficult, especially since she doesn't drive.

Women are not allowed to get behind the wheel in Saudi Arabia.

"Back at home, I'm used to getting a driver," she said. "Here, you have to [do] everything on your own."

More Saudi Arabians studying in the U.S. - Los Angeles Times

Let alone the domestic quality of higher learning which is constantly imrproving, the new universities (KAUST etc.), those under construction and the ones that are going to be built in the future.

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

While Saudi women are struggling to drive their own car this could be considered as a leap for them I hope her application get approved asap.

I hope the Iranian regime approves medical countermeasures to be taken in part of this act of orgy for the Iranian women:

 

[Syrian Lion]

the funny part is this thing making news ....

 

[787B]

I hope the Iranian regime approves medical countermeasures to be taken in part of this act of orgy for the Iranian women:

still trolling eventhough he complimented you guys....

saudis

edit: sunnis also have their own mutah too, lol (nikah nisyar)