By Shereen Shabnam

In addition to us as Jury announcing the Women’s World Car of the Year Award 2019 at the Dubai Motor Show, we are also excited to meet with Deborah Sherwood who is currently training females to be instructors in Saudi Arabia due to the change in law that allows women to drive.

Deborah went through a selection process and was thrilled to find out that she had been selected to be part of the team of four to help further develop and implement the training program for the instructors, examiners and lecturers.

We get some insights from her before the Dubai International Motor Show begins.

When did you first venture into the world of driver training?

I trained to be an instructor at the age of 21 as my local driving school needed an female instructor.   I used the income to put myself through University to become a Primary School Teacher. Both Driver Education and Primary Education have always remained my passion. Learning to drive is such an amazing life skill.

How has the Saudi experience been so far?

Honestly, amazing! I arrived with no preconceived ideas. I wanted to just experience Saudi with an open mind and heart. On first arrival I did feel a sense of culture shock but it didn’t take long to appreciate my surroundings, the people and their traditions and the sense of excitement about the vision for Saudi Arabia.

What are the challenges you face as a female driver trainer and how much support have you received from the students?

From the beginning there was a little concern about how the change in law would be accepted. It proved to be of no concern as the immense support of the public became evident. All the students have been so excited to have this opportunity they have really given their training their absolute all.

Tell us about a proud trainer moment since you arrived in Saudi?

There has been many proud trainer moments. One of the most emotional was when the initial instructors received their actual Saudi drivers’ license in preparation for 24th June 2018. Then listening to their stories and seeing the videos of them driving with their families at exactly one second after midnight. Hearing and participating in the joy was overwhelming. It was truly an honour to be part of this amazing change in the country’s history. As time goes on and you speak to many successful graduates of the driving centre you become increasingly aware of how vastly this is affecting their future in such a positive way.

What else is being done in breaking gender barriers for women drivers in Saudi Arabia?

There have been multiple awareness campaigns throughout Saudi to encourage the support of all drivers to be respectful and helpful to the addition of female drivers on the road. There are many employment opportunities available for women that require them to drive to work or drive company vehicles. It has very quickly become the norm to see both male and female drivers in all situations in the region I’m based in.

How many students are you currently training?

I myself along with 3 other assessors have been training instructors since we arrived. Our amazing instructors have gone on to teach thousands of students.

What are your key messages for the visitors to Dubai International Motor Show?

Quite simply, enjoy the show, have fun and feed the dream. But most importantly be a safe driver, drive defensively, respecting the road and other road users. Remember driving is an earned privilege.

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Voting has commenced to find the Supreme Winner for Women’s World Car of the Year 2019 which will be announced at the Dubai International Motor Show in the presence of Founder of WWCOTY, Sandy Myrhe from New Zealand and the GCC Jury Shereen Shabnam.

Forty-one women motoring journalists from 37 countries make up the Women’s World Car of the Year Jury. Given the rise and rise of female car purchasers world-wide, the female voice is more important than ever and the female demographic is, in fact, the fastest-growing consumer segment in the world and arguably the most influential.

‘The awards will be presented by Sandy Myhre who has covered motor racing from all the major tracks of the world. She was the first woman member of NZ Motoring Writers’ Guild, the first woman member and first President of the NZ Motorsport Media Association.  She is an award-winning journalist and the author of six books.

“It’s an honour to be announcing our awards in Dubai for two main reasons,” she said.

“First, it means we are recognized as an international entity by the organisers which is important to us as journalists. “Secondly, the motor industry, the media and visitors to the show will hear our voice from a significant platform.

“It’s well-known that women aren’t always acknowledged as major buyers of cars but by being in Dubai and giving our opinion on what cars we think were the best in 2019 will take that recognition factor up by a consideration notch.”

Accompanying Sandy will be Shereen Shabnam, a pioneering motoring journalist based out of the UAE since 1999. Shereen is the only female Jury of the Middle East Car of the Year Awards, Founder of All About Wheels, Editor in Chief of the Millionaire Group and Motoring Editor of Trending Business Insights and Madame magazine. Shereen has tested cars all over the world and has been the female voice for motoring in the regional media for over 17 years.

Finalists in this years WWCOTY are Audi e-Tron Quattro, Mazda 3, Toyota Corolla, BMW 3 Series, Tesla Model 3, Volvo S60, Citroën C5 Aircross, Ford Escape, Ford Kuga, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Xceed, Porsche 911, Range Rover Evoque, Renault Clio and Lexus UX.

Winners will also be announced according to the Budget, Family, Green, Luxury, Performance and SUV/Crossover. Models in these categories include, Kia Xceed, Renault Clio, Skoda Scala, BMW 3 Series, Mazda 3, Toyota Corolla, Audi e-Tron Quattro and Kia Soul EV, Tesla Model 3, BMW 8 Series, BMW X7, Porsche Cayenne Coupé, Mercedes AMG A35/45, Porsche 911, Toyota GR Supra, Citroën C5 Aircross, Range Rover Evoque and Lexus UX.

Judges are asked to nominate their Top 10 from a list of eligible cars. These nominations are then collated and put into the various categories including one category for the Supreme Award. Votes are then received for analysis by international accountants, Grant Thornton, from their Auckland (New Zealand) office.

Two other awards are in the 2019 line-up. The Holly Reich Dream Car Award is named in honour of a judge in Women’s World Car of the Year who passed away in 2016 in New York. Judges name the car they would love to have, if only they could. The Woman of Worth Award is in its second year. This award goes to the woman whom judges feel has contributed significantly to the motor industry or motor sport.

Results for the 2019 Women’s World Car of the Year will be announced at the Dubai International Motor Show, United Arab Emirates, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre between 12-16 November 2019.