Hanadi Zakaria al-Hindi
Hanadi Zakaria al-Hindi هنادي زكريا الهندي | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 1978 (age 47) |
| Occupation | Aviator |
Hanadi Zakaria al-Hindi (Arabic: هنادي زكريا الهندي) is the first Saudi woman to become a pilot.[1]
Biography
She was born in Mecca in September 1978. She passed her final exams at the Middle East Academy for Commercial Aviation in Amman, Jordan on 15 June 2005.[2] She worked a ten-year contract with Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal’s Kingdom Holding Company[3][4] as a pilot of his private jet, the Kingdom.
After her early flying work with Prince Al‑Waleed bin Talal, she went to the U.S. to complete additional training with the Federal Aviation Administration.[5] Despite her certification, she was unable to find work as a commercial pilot within Saudi Arabia, and currently teaches aviation.
Recognitions
Al-Waleed, who is considered a proponent for female emancipation in the Saudi world, financed her training[2] and stated on her graduation that he is "in full support of Saudi ladies working in all fields".[3] Al-Hindi became certified to fly within Saudi Arabia in 2014.[6]
Reports highlighted the irony that a Saudi woman is allowed to pilot an aeroplane but may not drive a car (although this changed in 2017[7]).[3][4] Al-Hindi, however, does not see this as a contradiction.[3]
See also
References
- ^ جريدة الوادي، هنادى الهندى أول [[طائرة|كابتن طائرة]] بالسعودية وقائدة الطائرة الخاصة ب[[الوليد بن طلال]]، بتاريخ 1 مارس 2014] Archived 2016-03-05 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b First Saudi Female Pilot Graduates Archived 2009-07-25 at the Wayback Machine, Arab News, 16 June 2005. Retrieved 21 October 2007.
- ^ a b c d "First Saudi Female Pilot Lands Job With Kingdom Holding". 24 November 2004. Archived from the original on November 24, 2004.
- ^ a b CNN Insight Archived 2008-03-03 at the Wayback Machine, January 19, 2005.
- ^ "Saudi pilot speaks about how she hit the glass ceiling". Arab News. November 1, 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia: First woman to get pilot license". BBC News. 23 April 2014. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia to allow women to drive for first time". www.abc.net.au. September 26, 2017. Archived from the original on 2023-11-29. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
