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Saudi Arabia: 28,000 women apply for 30 train driver jobs


A rail company recruiting 30 female train drivers in Saudi Arabia says it has received 28,000 applications.

The successful candidates will drive high-speed trains between the holy cities of Mecca and Medina after a year of training.


It is the first time such roles have been advertised for women in the conservative Muslim kingdom.


For decades, Saudi Arabia had one of the world's lowest female workforce participation rates.


But in recent years the government has made efforts to increase the number of women in work as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's plan to diversify the oil-dependent economy.


It has also pushed through a number of social reforms, including ending the ban on women driving and easing male guardianship laws to allow women to travel freely.

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