Breaking down the barriers: Woman, 28, becomes first female train driver in the whole of the Middle East

Mariam Al Safar is only female qualified to get behind the controls

It is not a region known for its promotion of equal rights for women.



However, a 28-year-old woman from Dubai has struck a blow for her Arabic sisters after becoming a train driver for the city's Metro system.



Not only is Mariam Al Safar the first female in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to get behind the controls of a train - she is also the first in the Middle East.

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Inspiring: Mariam Al Safar urged women to think more about unconventional jobs when considering their career paths

'Top priority': Miss Al Safar said her jobs had made her open to challenges and unafraid to take risks

Her feat is all the more impressive when you consider women are arrested in Saudi Arabia for driving a car.

Miss Al Safar, a native Emirati, is one of a select few UAE residents qualified to get behind the controls of a Dubai Metro train - and is the only woman, it was reported.



The network, which is described as the most advanced in the world is primarily an unmanned automatic driving system, which is operated from a centralised control room.

However, in the event of system repairs or an accident, it needs manual operation.

Miss Al Safar told Gulf News: 'I am always open to challenges and I am not afraid to take risks. I work hard and my job is my top priority.'

She added: 'Being a train attendant has helped me understand how to interact with people and staff from different nationalities and different cultures. This has empowered me to tackle different kinds of situations with ease.'

One for the girls: While women in Saudi Arabia are banned from driving cars, Mariam Al Safar is the first lady in the Middle East to control a train

At the controls: Native Emirati Mariam Al Safar is one of a select few UAE residents qualified to drive the train

Pioneering: Mariam Al Safar at the controls of a Dubai Metro train, which is primarily an unmanned automatic driving system

She also urged more women to think more about unconventional jobs when considering their own career paths.

She told Gulf News: 'Don't live your life without a target or vision. Set a target and strive to achieve it.'

Dubai's large expatriate community accounts for 80 per cent of its citizens, making Emiratis minorities in their own country, so jobs like Miss Al Safar's are usually carried out by foreign nationals.

However, in a bid to reduce the UAE's reliance on foreign labour and expertise, the Government is introducing policies to boost the number of Emiratis in the workforce.

The Dubai Metro said it actively promotes the policy of employing of local Emiratis and claimed the number of locals working for Serco - the operator of the system - is almost 135, which is 12 per cent of the total workforce.

The process of 'Emiratisation' is to be increased to push up this number to between 50 and 60 per cent by the end of 2014.

In recent years, Dubai has seen an upsurge of young women overturning a traditionally patriarchal culture to find their feet in the workplace.

The government drive to empower and educate women - along with exposure to westernised cultures - has resulted in the female population moving into a range of professions.

Popular: Dubai's large expatriate community accounts for 80 per cent of its citizens, making Emiratis minorities in their own country

