Reports claim a job advert by Spanish railway operator Renfe to recruit 30 female train drivers in Saudi Arabia has attracted 28,000 applicants.

Renfe said it had culled the list through online assessment of academic background and English language skills as it seeks to recruit new operators for its service.

Women in Saudi Arabia were not allowed to drive cars until 2018.

The country has made efforts to open up its economy for women who have increasingly begun joining the workforce although the proportion of women working in the country is currently half of that of men with authorities keen to address gender issues.

Watch:&nbsp;For the first time, Saudi women stand guard in Mecca during haj

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The Spanish train operator informed that women operators would be selected to drive bullet trains between Mecca and Medina after receiving training for over a year.

Reports claim there has been a significant rise in participation of women in Saudi Arabia's workforce rising from 17 per cent in 2016 to over 33 per cent in 2020 with unemployment levels among women declining 24 per cent in 2020.

According to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 report, the kingdom is keen to&nbsp;provide&nbsp;opportunities to everyone - both men and women. The report said over 50&nbsp;per cent of university graduates are women. The Saudi government is seeking to boost women’s participation in the workforce by 2030.

Recently Saudi human resource minister&nbsp;Ahmed Al-Rajhi&nbsp;pointed out that citizens entering the labour market for the first time in one year had reached 400,000 comprising of both men and women with the total reaching more than 1,900,000 as he emphasised women's participation was a major goal as laid down under Vision 2030.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Agencies)

Reports claim a job advert by Spanish railway operator Renfe to recruit 30 female train drivers in Saudi Arabia has attracted 28,000 applicants. Renfe said it had culled the list through online assessment of academic background and English language skills as it seeks to recruit new operators for its service.

Reports claim a job advert by Spanish railway operator Renfe to recruit 30 female train drivers in Saudi Arabia has attracted 28,000 applicants. Renfe said it had culled the list through online assessment of academic background and English language skills as it seeks to recruit new operators for its service. Women in Saudi Arabia were not allowed to drive cars until 2018. The country has made efforts to open up its economy for women who have increasingly begun joining the workforce although the proportion of women working in the country is currently half of that of men with authorities keen to address gender issues. Watch: For the first time, Saudi women stand guard in Mecca during haj The Spanish train operator informed that women operators would be selected to drive bullet trains between Mecca and Medina after receiving training for over a year. Reports claim there has been a significant rise in participation of women in Saudi Arabia's workforce rising from 17 per cent in 2016 to over 33 per cent in 2020 with unemployment levels among women declining 24 per cent in 2020. According to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 report, the kingdom is keen to provide opportunities to everyone - both men and women. The report said over 50 per cent of university graduates are women. The Saudi government is seeking to boost women’s participation in the workforce by 2030. Recently Saudi human resource minister Ahmed Al-Rajhi pointed out that citizens entering the labour market for the first time in one year had reached 400,000 comprising of both men and women with the total reaching more than 1,900,000 as he emphasised women's participation was a major goal as laid down under Vision 2030. (With inputs from Agencies)

Saudi Arabia: Job ad for women train drivers attracts 28,000 applicants for 30 posts

Women in black abayas and fluorescent orange vests stood at the gates at King Abdullah Stadium, welcoming people into the family section that, for the first time in Saudi Arabia, allowed women to attend a men&#39;s soccer match.

As the two teams al-Ahli and al-Batin faced each other in the city of Jeddah, women showed up to their first public sporting event in the Kingdom to support the sides with their spouses, children and friends.

The General Sports Authority announced in October that stadiums in Jeddah, Dammam and Riyadh will be set up to accommodate families starting in 2018.

&quot;Honestly this decision should have happened a long time ago,&quot; said Muneera al-Ghamdi, an attendee. &quot;But thank god that it came in the right time, and hopefully what&#39;s to come will be even more beautiful for women.&quot;

The decision to allow women to attend a mixed public sporting event is one of many changes the country has undergone in recent months, hailed as proof of a new progressive trend in the deeply conservative Muslim Kingdom.

On Thursday, Jeddah held Saudi Arabia&#39;s first car exhibition aimed at women, a few months after Saudi Arabia announced it would grant them the right to drive..

A soccer match on Saturday in the capital Riyadh will also be welcoming women fans.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 32, has been hailed as the face of these changes.

Many young Saudis regard his recent ascent to power as proof their generation is taking a central place in running a country whose patriarchal traditions have for decades made power the province of the old and blocked women&#39;s progress.

&quot;Today the percentage of those who participate in exercise and sports is only 13 percent,&quot; said Hayfaa al-Sabban, who heads a sport organisation.

&quot;We aim god willing to raise it to 40 per cent by 2030, through several events, and today&#39;s is one of these events.&quot; 
&nbsp;

The decision to allow women to attend a mixed public sporting event is one of many changes the country has undergone in recent months, hailed as proof of a new progressive trend in the deeply conservative Muslim Kingdom

Women in black abayas and fluorescent orange vests stood at the gates at King Abdullah Stadium, welcoming people into the family section that, for the first time in Saudi Arabia, allowed women to attend a men's soccer match. As the two teams al-Ahli and al-Batin faced each other in the city of Jeddah, women showed up to their first public sporting event in the Kingdom to support the sides with their spouses, children and friends. The General Sports Authority announced in October that stadiums in Jeddah, Dammam and Riyadh will be set up to accommodate families starting in 2018. "Honestly this decision should have happened a long time ago," said Muneera al-Ghamdi, an attendee. "But thank god that it came in the right time, and hopefully what's to come will be even more beautiful for women." The decision to allow women to attend a mixed public sporting event is one of many changes the country has undergone in recent months, hailed as proof of a new progressive trend in the deeply conservative Muslim Kingdom. On Thursday, Jeddah held Saudi Arabia's first car exhibition aimed at women, a few months after Saudi Arabia announced it would grant them the right to drive.. A soccer match on Saturday in the capital Riyadh will also be welcoming women fans. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 32, has been hailed as the face of these changes. Many young Saudis regard his recent ascent to power as proof their generation is taking a central place in running a country whose patriarchal traditions have for decades made power the province of the old and blocked women's progress. "Today the percentage of those who participate in exercise and sports is only 13 percent," said Hayfaa al-Sabban, who heads a sport organisation. "We aim god willing to raise it to 40 per cent by 2030, through several events, and today's is one of these events."

Saudi women score right to watch men's soccer in stadiums

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Saudi Arabia: Job ad for women train drivers attracts 28,000 applicants for 30 posts

Saudi women score right to watch men's soccer in stadiums