Women to drive taxis in Dubai

Women to drive taxis in Dubai
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

DUBAI, MAY 28: Seven Arab women will blaze a trail in the emirate of Dubai from Thursday when they become the first women taxi drivers across the Muslim Arab Gulf.

They will only take female and children passengers, but the press in the liberal trading and tourist hub have greeted the move as a breakthrough. In neighbouring Saudi Arabia, which enforces a strict interpretation of Islam, women are not allowed to drive at all.

"There was quite a lot of opposition from my brothers and senior family members," Abla Hussein told Sunday's Gulf News. "But I feel that opting for a driver's job does not mean that I am going against my traditions," she said.

The seven, who will wear long skirts and black head scarves in line with local custom, will be joined by 23 more women if the project proves a success, according to the Dubai Transport Corporation.

"We have undergone rigorous training for three months, including how to deal with passengers and their attitudes," Sudanese national Ehasan Hassan told the daily. "If we fail, there is always the option to quit and go back to the sheltered life," she admitted.

The new recruits, who will not work overnight, will be monitored by a woman police inspector. The transport corporation said the service answers demand from Gulf women who do not always feel confident with male taxi drivers.