Those in support of the idea say employing women at Saudi airports would allow women to contribute to nation building and also portray Saudi women in a positive light to foreigners visiting the Kingdom who would be able to see women adhering to their religious requirements while engaging in public life, Al-Riyadh newspaper reported.
Ahmad Al-Homaidan, assistant undersecretary for the employment of Saudis at the Ministry of Labor, said there is nothing stopping women from being employed at Saudi airports. “This is part of the regulations agreed upon as far as the employment of women is concerned. Moreover, we are also encouraging hiring Saudi women in the administrative and IT departments of airports,” he said, adding that the final decision is yet to be taken on the matter.
Ali Al-Qahtani, director general of Bab Rizq Jameel in the Central Region, said the women of today is able to work the same way men do and that many women are their families’ main breadwinners nowadays. “There is a large number of young qualified unemployed women in Saudi society. The rate of unemployment among women is on the rise and they include some highly-qualified and smart individuals,” said Al-Qahtani.
“They can be employed in various airport jobs such as at the immigration and flight check-in counters, and in airport shops, restaurants and car rental and hotel counters,” he said, adding that airports need staff around the clock.
Al-Qahtani said the Saudi woman has proved her capabilities in doing jobs and is able to also work under stress. “They are extending their services to the public in various sectors such as health and banking. They manage events, provide excellent customer services and show brilliant marketing skills. They’re also able to do clerical and secretarial jobs,” he said, adding that Saudi women are also showing enthusiasm and eagerness to serve the Kingdom.
Al-Qahtani believes airports are suitable places for women to work in view of the secure environment there. “There is no opportunity to harass or annoy women at airports. Women officials would be able to wear their Islamic dress and serve large numbers of people, especially women, at immigration desks. They can help thousands of female passengers who prefer to deal with women,” he said.
Saudi businesswoman Samah Al-Fadeli said it is high time to employ Saudi women at the airport immigration desks. “Women can provide excellent services to incoming and outgoing female travelers. Most women travelers do not like men looking at them or going through their passports. Women immigration officers enjoy more freedom than their male counterparts when interacting with other women,” she said.
Aisha Natto, member of the board of directors of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, commended Saudi Arabian Airlines for its recent decision to employ young Saudi women in its sales and IT sections. She further urged the airline to open more sectors to women.
While criticizing the attitude of some sections of Saudi society in denying women their right to work, Natto said women employees at hospital reception counters are doing their jobs excellently.
Haifa Jamal Al-Lail, head of Effat College in Jeddah, underscored the need for implementing government decision No. 120 that stipulates that women should be allowed to work in all fields in both the government and private sectors in line with Shariah requirements.
She noted that there has been a tremendous response to this decision from several government agencies with the recent opening of separate ladies sections and units across the Kingdom, thus creating vast opportunities for qualified female jobseekers.
Fatima Al-Qahtani, a columnist with Al-Yaum Arabic newspaper, said Saudi Arabian Airlines started employing women at its sales counters and IT sections nearly two years ago. “However, they have been prevented from working in the airline’s other sections. This is at a time when there is a substantial increase in the number of unemployed young women. Moreover, there is a lack of job opportunities in the government sector in addition to financial burdens due to rising inflation,” she said, adding that universities offer courses in a lot of useless subjects that do not make graduates very employable.
Al-Qahtani feels there is a need to employ women at airports and questioned why women are allowed to work in hospitals and at private firms yet stopped from taking up roles in airports.
Writer Abid Khazindar said women officials are only employed at airports to screen female passengers at the security gate. “We live at a time when women airport staff have proved they are capable of serving passengers better than men,” he said, adding that foreign women are hired by Saudia to run its offices abroad.
“The unemployment rate among university female graduates has jumped to 76 percent,” said Khazindar, while urging the civil aviation authorities to hire more qualified women.
