Saudi Gazette report

Dammam — Two Saudi women have become the first certified female firefighters in the Kingdom meeting the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) rigorous Professional Qualifications Standards, according to Saudi Aramco’s Fire Protection Department’s Engineering and Training Services Division.

Abeer O. Aljabr, an Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management graduate from the University of Sharjah, and Jazyah E. Aldossary, a chemical engineering graduate from the University of Missouri in the US, have joined Fire Protection Department’s Engineering and Training Services Division.

“These young engineers, including our female colleagues, are challenging themselves to be the very best,” said Ghassan G. Abulfaraj, FrPD manager.

“They are awakening the entire fire service community — challenging the status quo and raising the bar for all of us.

“I am also thrilled to witness this historic moment of having the Kingdom’s first certified female firefighters,” Abulfaraj added.

Aldossary said she was inspired by her father, who was a fire chief in the 1990s.

“He was passionate about his job, and that passion was instilled in me from an early age,” said Aldossary.

“Joining FrPD is a dream come true. My dad was very proud as the second generation of his family is continuing his legacy,” she said.

Aldossary added that although the process to obtain firefighter certification required significant physical demands on a daily basis, the experience has been rewarding.