RIYADH: Reem Farahat waited for a ride request. Her phone pinged. 鈥淚鈥檝e already cried twice,鈥� she said, heading out to work as one of 萝莉视频鈥檚 first female drivers for Careem.
The Dubai-based ride-hailing app, along with global behemoth Uber, reacted to Saudi King Salman鈥檚 September announcement of an end to the Kingdom鈥檚 ban on female motorists by saying it would begin to hire women.
On Sunday, when the king鈥檚 decree took effect, nearly a dozen Careem 鈥渃aptainahs鈥� 鈥� all Saudi women 鈥� were ready to pick up riders.
鈥淭his morning, when I got in the car, I felt the tears coming,鈥� Reem said as she stocked her car with chilled water bottles for her riders.
鈥淚 pulled the car over and cried. I could not believe that we now drive... It鈥檚 a dream. I thought it would be totally normal, I鈥檇 just get in the car and go. I was surprised by my own reaction.鈥�
She took a long pause.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 expect it,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 doing this because I can. Because someone has to start.鈥�
Seventy percent of Careem鈥檚 customers in 萝莉视频 are women, according to company statistics, a figure largely attributable to the Kingdom鈥檚 now-obsolete ban on women driving.
Uber puts its equivalent figure closer to 80 percent.
At Careem鈥檚 offices on Sunday, staff gathered to celebrate the women鈥檚 first day on the job.
Farahat鈥檚 first ride request came just hours after the ban was officially lifted.
鈥淭his is my first ride. I鈥檓 excited. I鈥檓 excited to know who I鈥檓 picking up, what their reaction is going to be,鈥� she said.
The driver 鈥� who also works with her father as a quality control consultant, is training in life coaching, and scuba dives with her sister off the Red Sea city of Jeddah 鈥� picked up Leila Ashry from a local cafe.
Walking toward the car, Leila spotted Reem, did a little jump of joy on the sidewalk, and was already chatting as she opened the door.
鈥淥h my god I can鈥檛 believe it鈥檚 you. I can鈥檛 believe you鈥檙e here. I can鈥檛 believe I鈥檓 here,鈥� Leila said.
鈥淚鈥檝e been tweeting to my friends that my ride is coming and it鈥檚 a woman! And you鈥檙e so pretty! And I can sit in the front now 鈥� wait, can I actually sit in the front next to you?鈥�
Some 2,000 women have signed up to get their Careem licenses since September, said Abdulla Elyas, co-founder and CPO 鈥� 鈥渃hief people officer鈥� 鈥� of the ride-hailing app. They are all Saudi women, from their 20s to their 50s.
Uber also plans to introduce women drivers to their service this autumn.
鈥淭hey come from completely different backgrounds,鈥� Elyas told AFP.
鈥淲e have women who have degrees, a master鈥檚 degree. We have women who have no degree at all. We have women who want to do this full time. We have women who want to do this part time (for) an additional income, who are already working.鈥�
Most of those who had been licensed by Sunday, like Reem, had permits from foreign countries, enabling them to skip driving courses and take the final exam for a Saudi license.
The 鈥渃aptainahs鈥� can pick up any customer, man or woman.
Both the driver and rider have the right to end the ride at any point.
Leila, a young medical student with a pixie cut and bright smile, says she would still choose a woman.
鈥淭his automatically feels a lot safer... being a female and dealing with sexism on a day-to-day basis. There鈥檚 just something about it that feels wonderful. But it鈥檚 not only that. It鈥檚 also women joining the workforce,鈥� she said.
Sitting in the front passenger seat, she recalled previous rides with male drivers.
鈥淏efore, sometimes they would stare at me from the mirror,鈥� she said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just like that thing we share with women, where we just automatically understand what it鈥檚 like to be in that position where you feel their eyes on you but you can鈥檛 say anything, you can鈥檛 do anything against it.鈥�
She turned to chat to Reem, and sang a riff from a West Side Story tune before saying: 鈥淚f you can do it, then I can do it.鈥�
鈥淪ee? That鈥檚 what I was talking about,鈥� Reem said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 that ripple effect.鈥�