Thousands of women in Saudi Arabia are now looking for jobs as they will be allowed to take on roles such as train drivers in new reforms by the Kingdom, following the lifting of gender segregations rules.

A job advert looking for 30 female train drivers in Saudi Arabia received more than 28,000 applications, as the country opens up more opportunities for women. Spanish railway operator Renfe released the advert in December after getting approval from the Saudi Arabian government, and has received tens of thousands of applications. The popular role will see 30 women drive the famous Haramin high-speed railway between the holy site of Mecca and Medina, after a year of training.

Up until recently, job opportunities for Saudi women were rare, with most being limited to roles such as teachers and nurses due to gender segregation laws. However, since Saudi Arabia committed to improving opportunities for all genders, the amount of women working in the country has doubled in the last five years to 33%.