Meet the passionate Emirati woman driver who owns all types of driving licences

Mira Al Rashdi, Staff Reporter

Safaa Al Mahri is an Emirati businesswoman who has achieved a historic feat as the first woman in the UAE to obtain licences for all seven categories: motorcycles,  light vehicles, heavy vehicles,  light buses,  heavy buses, light tractors and  heavy tractors.

Safaa also owns a project specialising in serving traditional Emirati cuisine.

She told Al Khaleej about her experience that driving was initially a hobby, which soon turned into a passion and a challenge that led her to involve herself in unusual experiences, such as driving heavy vehicles and equipment which require high skill in control. In addition to being heavy in weight, they also require full awareness of the surrounding environment and precision in dealing with all the details. Safaa expressed her pride in her accomplishment, especially as it is rarely done by woman.

Safaa added that driving a motorcycle was a big challenge because it requires a great deal of balance and high concentration, as it is not protected and requires great control over movement and speed.

The second challenge which Safaa faced was driving a bus due to its height, length, and large size, which requires precision and caution while driving, besides the large mirrors which require a great skill in terms of vision and control.

Al Mahri says, "I do my best to help women overcome their fears of driving, especially those who suffer from driving phobia. I strive to enhance their confidence and teach them how to deal with vehicles, because I believe that woman is capable of overcoming any obstacle in the UAE. We are fortunate to have a developed infrastructure and well-studied traffic laws which help us drive safely, and these are very encouraging factors for developing driving skills among women."

"My message to every Emirati young woman who aspires to achieve similar accomplishments is to believe in her abilities and discover her talents, because women in the UAE are supported by our wise leadership and the support of Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Mother of the UAE," Safaa added.