ABU DHABI When Abu Dhabi Terminals (ADT) organised an open day last September to recruit Emiratis for operational roles at the Khalifa Port container terminal, one particular application stumped everyone. It was from Emirati Ayesha Al Marzooqi for the job of a large STS (ship-to-shore) crane operator. She knew well enough no woman in her country had ever dared to push herself till then for such a job but she also knew there’s always a first time.
Cut to January 2015, Ayesha, having successfully bagged her dream job, is officially the UAE’s first female Emirati crane operator, now trained to independently operate a 126-metre crane to move containers from large container vessels to shore at Khalifa Port.
“From the moment I heard about this role, I was determined to go for this job. I am extremely proud to be the first female Emirati crane operator and I really hope that it will inspire more Emirati women to take up roles that are unique for ladies,” Ayesha, 28, who has a penchant for horse-riding, reading and shopping, told XPRESS.
Truly unique
It may be a truly unique role for a female to undertake, but according to Ayesha, the basics of operating a crane are about exercising full concentration and being ready to make immediate decisions without hesitation, something women can do really well.
However, manning the 126.5 metre high super-post-Panamax crane - one of the largest and most modern ship-to-shore quay cranes in the world - Ayesha will need immense strength. The crane - with an outreach of 65 metres - is used to unload container vessels and has a lifting capacity of 90 tons – the same weight as that of 48 four-wheel drives, but Ayesha has it all in her grasp now.
“She has trained well for close to two months now and proved at every stage that she is very capable of independently manning a crane of that stature,” said Pierre L. Pinheiro, the Operations Training Supervisor at ADT.
To be a crane operator for one of the fastest growing ports in the world Ayesha had to undergo rigorous ADT training comprising theoretical classroom training on various aspects of operating a crane; including crane safety and crane components.
Once the theoretical part was over, Ayesha then had to shadow a fully qualified crane operator for hands-on training before she was declared fully ready to start operating a crane solo.
“Besides a minimum amount of training hours, there are several exams that Ayesha needed to complete before she could receive her official certification, but training her all along was a great experience. She showed that she loves taking challenges head-on before overcoming them. For me she was no less and no different than a male crane operator,” said Omar Ali Al Jaberi, the Training Manager of Operations.
