First Emirati woman cabin crew tells her story

When the norm was to work in a family owned business or a government job, Nawal Al Suwaidi broke down the wall. She wanted to see the world. When Emirates launched in 1985, opportunity beckoned. Two years later, the 18-year-old decided she wanted to fly. She approached Emirates, saying her dream was to become cabin crew, a job occupied only by expatriates. Emiratis working in the service sector of any kind was not the norm. She became the first Emirati woman cabin crew. Fifteen years on, she is customer affairs manager at Emirates. “When Emirates started, it was my dream to work with them and explore the world. After graduating from high school, I rushed and applied for the position. The company asked for a no-objection letter from my guardian before finalising the contract. They wanted me to be sure whether I was convinced on taking up the job. But my mind was made up. I wanted to take up the challenge,” said Nawal. “When I started out it was only office work. I didn’t have to spend any nights away from home. When Emirates started their lay overs, cabin crew was required to spend one night in another country because the distances were so short. They hadn’t yet expanded to London or Paris.” Shortly after she entered the organisation, a few more Emirati women joined. They looked up to Nawal as a role model since she was one of the minority as an Emirati who understood the challenges in adapting to a multi-cultural environment. Emirati passengers admired Nawal. “Emiratis would be happy when they read my name tag. Here I was, an employee, who understood their culture and their needs. I would meet the same passengers and the bond was friendly,” she said. A cabin crew has several roles. You are not only specialised in customer service, but have to take on other roles that involve health care, fire safety and emergency evacuations. Nawal was first seen as a representative of the country, a role that was as significant as her on flight service. Nawal said Emirates provided her with skills to polish her English and develop herself in the industry. “There was extensive training and though technology was not as advanced as it is today, we learnt the basic safety requirements and airline terminology. Once Emirates expanded, I saw Singapore, Paris and London, which I probably would not have been able to visit under other circumstances.” After 15 years as cabin crew, Nawal took on the challenge of crew manager. She carried out her job successfully because she could relate to their issues. She was promoted as a customer affairs manager within three years. Her job was not limited to dealing with customers.  “I deal with cabin crew based on customer feedback, whether it is positive or negative. I make recommendations to the department concerned and assess how we can improve the quality of staff and crew.” Though Nawal has put the days of cabin crew behind her, she would return to the position in a heartbeat.  “There’s nothing nicer than helping others. You can learn from passengers in return. It’s a job I miss. I learnt so much as cabin crew. Best of all, the education and cultural experience was for free.”