Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — Car workshops and repair centers are now accepting women employees in various positions including mobile repair services, Al-Madina newspaper reported.

Women can work as mechanics, receptionists and call center staff in addition to marketing jobs.

Investors expect the revenue of car workshops and repair centers to increase by 30 percent. Women driving will open new opportunities for females to work in car repair shops but they must be trained first.

Investor Fahd Al-Bugamy said up until now, women were only able to work as receptionists and marketers in car workshops and repair centers.

“With the lifting of the ban on women driving and with more workshops being moved from residential areas to industrial zones, the demand for women mechanics will increase to serve female clients,” said Al-Bugamy.

Salem Al-Asmari, the CEO of Saudi Japanese High Institute, said the number of women applying to work in the institute has increased in recent weeks.

“We will be in need of women mechanics in the near future. We already need as much manpower as we can get to serve the increasing number of customers. We are currently studying the possibility of hiring women mechanics who are qualified for the job,” said Al-Asmari.

Huda Ali, who works at a car dealership, said there is a need to make women mechanics available to serve female drivers now that women will be driving on highways and they may need roadside assistance.