Women Have Growing Presence in Middle East Aviation | Aviation International News

Aviation in the Middle East isn’t just growing, it’s booming–and women have every opportunity to join the ranks, according to the president of the Emirates chapter of Women in Aviation, International (WAI).

“People from the outside think that women in this part of the world are limited in choices, but that’s wrong,” said Mervat Sultan, one of the first Emirati women to obtain a flight dispatcher’s license. She also holds a PPL and serves as finance manager for RamJet Aviation Support, based in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. “The choices open to women are the same as for men. We, all of us, are the same.”

Men and women also receive the same encouragement to pursue careers in aviation, Sultan said. “In the UAE, we receive the same support as men, from the government and from our families,” Sultan said. “There is no difference. I’ve never faced any problems here.”

The UAE government, which has publicly praised women’s contributions to society and encouraged the private sector to give them every opportunity to succeed, was especially supportive of Sultan’s dream to launch a WAI chapter. “The government really encouraged us,” she said.

Opportunities for Women

Although it may come as a surprise to many, Middle Eastern women have been involved in aviation for decades. Loftia El Nadi, the first Egyptian woman to earn a pilot’s license, was also the second woman ever to solo an airplane. She earned her license in 1933.

An ever-increasing number of women are entering the industry. Mideast Aviation Academy in Amman, Jordan, for example, currently has female students from Libya and Nigeria, in addition to Jordan, and its graduates include women from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, Bahrain and Algeria.

One of the founders of the academy, Entisar Al-Ramahi, has been involved with aviation for 13 years and serves as the school’s director of public relations and marketing. She has been instrumental in helping to develop new courses and attracting international students, including many females, to the school.

At Emirates Aviation College, where Sultan earned her JAA-compliant GCAA flight dispatch license, her fellow students included the first female Bahraini air traffic controller and a female pilot who now works for Gulf Air. “There are plenty of ladies in aviation, but aviation itself is still a young industry in the Middle East,” Sultan explained. “It’s not the same as the industry in the U.S. or Europe, and it’s a challenge for both men and women to get involved.”

That being said, the Middle Eastern aerospace industry is making great strides in attracting nationals–including females–to positions within the industry. One of the most successful has been Strata, the Al Ain-based aerostructures facility wholly owned by Mubadala Aerospace. To date, the company employs 165 women, 140 of whom are UAE nationals. Their positions are varied, and include everything from technicians, operators and quality and laboratory specialists, to HR, training and learning/development officers. In addition, Mubadala is working with many of its female employees to establish a mentoring program to get more women into the boardroom. These women have not only gained the respect of their coworkers, but their family and friends as well.

In many Middle East countries, there are still cultural objections to women working in the manufacturing industry and leaving their children at home. But as Sultan explained, many people have positive views of the aviation industry.

“As Arabs, we cannot get involved in any industry unless we keep our femininity,” Sultan said. The aviation industry, unlike other manufacturing industries, is “a nice industry, very conservative.”

A female operator at Strata, for example, said that her son was initially embarrassed each time she wore her work uniform. But now he is proud of his mother.

Another advantage is the growing number of industry-related opportunities in the Middle East, which allows more women to be educated and to find jobs close to home. “We have plenty of schools and colleges that give women and men the chance to get a proper degree without leaving the country,” Sultan said.

The goal of the WAI-Emirates chapter is to introduce women to the wide range of opportunities within the industry, many of which don’t require women to go abroad. “Maybe being a pilot is difficult,” Sultan said. “It is difficult for a woman to find balance because she is away most of the time. But in other fields, there is no need to be outside the country. You can be close to your family and your business.”

Business Skills

Women in the Middle East, especially those in the more conservative countries, also need personal coaching, Ziolkowski said, to help them communicate effectively with their male peers. “The women are very well educated, and the governments are beginning to see that it is not a good long term plan to keep them out of the workforce,” she said. “But they need additional coaching to be able to communicate at the same level as the men. It’s not easy for many women; they’re not strong enough.”

In spite of these challenges, one well-placed source in UAE industry said she is excited about the future. “Small steps in this age will have a large impact on future generations,” she said. “You’re laying robust foundations now by providing opportunities for women, and whether or not they continue in employment, they will be raising their daughters to look at careers in broader fields. Over the next two generations or so, the diversity of women’s occupations will increase.” 

Mervat Sultan is one of the first women in the Arab World to obtain a FAA GCAA flight dispatch license. She co-founded RamJet Aviation Support, a haute couture aviation support company providing pre-flight and post-landing services, in 2001. She has since then successfully handled numerous flights in the Middle East, North Africa as well as Eastern Europe. Side by side Mervat Sultan has also represented RamJet Aviation at a number of key events which include the NBAA S&D Conference, MEBA Exhibition, EBACE,Business Airshow Farnsborough to name a few. While she's not working Mervat is passionate about flying and currently is pursuing her PPL. Alongside that she is actively working towards establishing a UAEChapter for Women in Aviation. On a lighter note she enjoys watching the Food Network Channel even though her culinary expertise extend to soft boiling eggs.

Alia Twal was one of the first female students at Jordan’s Mideast Aviation. She is currently serving as first officer for one of the region’s airlines.