JEDDAH, 1 June 2003 — Hanadi Sadaga Hindi is a young woman from Makkah. She is also Saudi Arabia’s first woman pilot. In an interview with Al-Jadeeda magazine, a sister publication of Arab News, she speaks about her background and her ambitions.
Hanadi started out in the English Literature Department at the Teachers College in Makkah, where she stayed for two years before moving to Umm Al-Qura University. But she did not graduate, deciding instead to study aviation.
“It was a dream I had since I was a child and was waiting to be fulfilled,” she said.
She mentioned the idea of studying aviation to her father, and he promised his support. “He kept his promise, and in August 2002 I withdrew my file from the university and enrolled in the Middle East Academy for Aviation in Amman, Jordan. That was the beginning,” she says.
Now she is the first Saudi woman to obtain a pilot’s license.
Responses clearly varied. “My mother and father were very supportive. They were behind me 100 percent and they saw that I was doing the right thing by pursuing my dreams.”
She says after God, she owes everything to her parents. Some relatives, however, were not so happy with her choice.
“They said because I was a woman, travel would be dangerous. Not to mention that no Saudi girl had ever majored in the field before.”
Some of her friends were in favor, some were against, she adds. “As for the rest of society, they reacted like any society where something new happens. But my confidence in myself and my parents’ confidence in me gave me the strength to complete the journey.”
She underwent rigorous training to obtain a PTL aviation license to fly a small single-engine aircraft. “This was the first step and I will continue to take courses until I obtain an international aviation license.”
The first time she flew an airplane, she experienced a potent mix of emotions. “So many feelings go through you at the same time: joy, pride, and fear,” she says.
“But flying is something I have always dreamt of since I was a child. I remember the first time I flew; I invited my family in Saudi Arabia from Amman to see my first flight. I wanted them to share my joy.” They came to watch her. “I saw them waving to me from the runway I was about to take off and I could see the happiness in their eyes. It was a day I’ll never forget.
“I am just thankful to God that I didn’t let them down and achieved the purpose I traveled abroad for,” she adds.
Hanadi was the only female trainee at the academy, but one of her trainers was also a woman, Lena Al-Rabdi. “She is like an elder sister who advises me and gives me pointers. She was the first person to train me. I also know the first female Palestinian captain, who was always supportive and friendly.”
Living abroad has been a rich experience. “It has shaped my personality because I met such a wide range of people. Studying in Jordan, an Arab country, was not different but I felt homesick all the time,” she adds.
During training, there were one or two dicey moments. “Once when I was flying alone and my family was watching from the tower, I maneuvered the plane at a very sharp angle so I could see them clearly. My tutor later scolded me for attempting such a daredevil stunt,” she laughs.
She is not sure whether Saudi Airlines would welcome female pilots yet, but she is clear that she feels very close to the country of her birth. “There are a lot of offers from Gulf Air, Kuwaiti Airlines and Emirates. But I don’t know if I’ll be joining them or not.”
A qualified pilot, Hanadi could be a role model for other women. She is convinced that many Saudi women have it in them to succeed. “Saudi women are very ambitious and capable when given the opportunity,” she says. “Perhaps the problem is that they don’t hold on to their dreams and are swayed by the opinion of others even if their ambition does not conflict with the spirit of tradition and religion.”
In her case, too, some have suggested that as a successful woman she will find it impossible to find a husband, but she brushes such remarks aside. “A man who does not love me and accept the way I am and has no respect for my dreams and ambitions is someone I do not want.”
At the same time, she does not rule out marrying someone in the same line of work — a pilot who shares an endless fascination of flying.
