General Directorate of Traffic and Najm Insurance Services celebrate graduation of first class of women investigators in the lead-up to women taking the wheel on June 24
RIYADH, June 22, 2018 – The Saudi General Directorate of Traffic and Najm Insurance Services celebrated the initial results of their joint programme to train women for traffic accident investigation and management, in the lead-up to women taking to the wheel in the Kingdom. A ceremony honouring 40 graduates took place in the presence of Director General of Traffic, Major-General Mohammed Al Bassami, held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh on Thursday.
Ms. Maha Al Shanifi, General Manager of Corporate Communications and Marketing at Najm, said that graduates had undergone an intensive training programme that covered all practical and theoretical aspects of accident investigation and management.
According to Ms Al-Shanifi, Najm’s move to hire female investigators complements the Royal Decree issued by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, to implement all necessary measures related to women getting behind the wheel on June 24. The Decree, issued in September 2017, spurred the company to develop and enhance its operations and to prepare training programs for female investigators.
Ms Al-Shanif also addressed the importance of empowering women to be productive members of society, and pointed to the investigators’ positions as a means of achieving that. She added that she hoped the new graduates would start their jobs immediately following the activation of the resolution on women’s driving.
Najm has announced that it is seeking other female candidates to become accident investigators for the insurance company.
There are three prerequisites for applying: language proficiency, absence of a criminal record and willingness to work the “morning and evening” shift system.
Mr. Fahad Bin Ibrahim Al Aqeel, Chief Executive Officer of Najm, said that he sees the involvement of women in accident investigation as part of the larger picture of implementing the Royal decision to allow women to drive and to ensure the best solutions for emergency situations.
Al Aqeel pointed out that Najm is working in partnership with the General Directorate of Traffic to raise driver awareness of safe driving practices, and to implement accident management according to the highest international standards. This is in line with Vision 2030’s call to ensure world-class standards and operations in all sectors of the Kingdom.
Women attended on Thursday the first of a number of community-oriented events in Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah and Tabuk, as part of the lead-up to the lifting of the ban on women driving on Sunday. The events, held with the participation of government and civic organizations, aim to raise awareness of safe driving habits and how best to use the road safely. The events are under the supervision of the General Department of Traffic.
