Local media reported that 31 Saudi women have completed their theory training, which began in January, to drive high-speed trains.

A second phase of training has begun for the trainees, which will last around five months. In the presence of professional drivers, they will receive practical training in the cockpit.

Saudi female drivers will begin operating trains between Saudi cities after the training program ends in December.

Many theoretical tests have been passed by the trainees, including testing for traffic and safety systems, work hazards, firefighting, and technical aspects related to train infrastructure.

Over the next few years, it is expected that the number of Saudi men and women drivers will increase, and the demand for train travel, particularly during Hajj and Umrah, will increase significantly.

After a year of paid training, the selected women will drive bullet trains between Mecca and Medina.

A drive by the Saudi crown price to open up the Kingdom and diversify the economy has nearly doubled female participation in the workforce in the last five years to 33 percent, and women are now taking on jobs previously held only by men.