More than 255 women join Saudi Arabia’s Special Forces

255 Saudi girls graduated last week, from the qualifying course for recruits of the fourth batch at the Women’s Training Institute in Special Force specializations.

This course at the Institute is concerned with diplomatic security and special forces for Hajj and Umrah security.

This was under the auspices of the Minister of Interior, Prince Abdulaziz bin Nayef. It was witnessed by the Director of Public Security, Lieutenant General Muhammad Al-Bassami.

The graduates received theoretical and practical training and lessons on the skills required by the nature of their security tasks and in the systems and procedures of security work.

They have been prepared for the special responsibilities required by the nature of their work, just like men.

Through the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and its programs, the women’s file has been given considerable attention by both the government and responsible authorities.

The Kingdom has implemented a project to achieve gender balance in the civil service, which aims to empower women and involve them in the labor market.

Women can now join Saudi Arabia’s armed forces, following a ruling by the Saudi Ministry of Defense which opened the way for both genders to sign up through a unified admission portal that started on February 21st, 2021.

Military ranks from soldier to sergeant will be available in the Saudi Arabian Army, Royal Saudi Air Defense, Royal Saudi Navy, Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force, and Armed Forces Medical Services.

All applicants must pass admission procedures according to specified conditions, have a clean record, and be medically fit for service. But some additional criteria have been added for female applicants.

Saudi female applicants must be between the age of 21 and 40 years old, have a height of 155 cm or taller, and cannot be government employees. Female submissions must also hold an independent national identity card and have at least a high school education.

Applicants married to non-Saudi citizens will not be accepted.

The age range for first-time male applicants is between 17 and 40 while their minimum height is 160 cm. There were mixed reactions to the ministry’s new unified recruitment standards.