A success story of Omani Woman in profession of Auto Mechanic

Muscat: Omani woman Zainab bint Ali Al Yarubia from Wilayat Masirah in South Al Sharqiah Governorate has come a long way since selling vehicle spare parts to becoming an ace auto mechanic

When Zainah bint Ali Yarubi tells you what she does for a living, you might be a little bit taken aback. It is , after all, not very often that you find a woman taking up jobs as automobile repair experts.

“My father is the real motivator for me to be who I am today,” says one of Masirah Island’s only female vehicle repair experts. “In 2006, my father asked me if I was ready to work with him instead of sitting at home looking for a job and I agreed to work with my father and started selling spare parts in a shop attached to the vehicle repair shop.”

In the 70s, Zainab’s father set up what is considered to be the first garage on this island. Zainab joined the shop floor helping customers pick up parts for their vehicles.

“I was afraid of consumers’ reactions and was doubtful if they would accept me – a woman – working in this field. This profession required muscle strength and time, in addition to handling heavy, sharp and dangerous tools. But with patience, determination and the encouragement of people, I overcome all the challenges and self-doubts,” she added. 

“When my father did see me observing the workers in the garage, he’d ask me to go back to the store, but I would tell him there were no customers, so I had come here to gain knowledge and help the business rake in more profits.

After her father unfortunately passed way in 2020, Zainab became increasingly involved alongside her brother in overseeing the garage. Women customers who came to the garage to get their vehicle serviced were naturally more comfortable speaking with her.

“Many girls in Masirah come to our workshop now because they feel comfortable in working with a girl.” 

Spark plug change, oil change, engine overhaul etc come naturally to Zainab now.

“There is also often no female representative to help them in such areas, Some of them, however, still come to the garage, so with my customer’s the first thing I do is find out the location and cause of the fault in their ride.

“I will continue this work and I hope to have a workshop of my own to repair women’s vehicles. I would like to encourage this profession among women by training girls to be auto mechanics and finding job opportunities for them.