Wednesday, Flight Lieutenant Sabaa Thnaibat became the first Jordanian woman to fly solo in the skies of Jordan in an F-16 fighter jet.

Commander of the Royal Jordanian Air Force Brigadier General Pilot Muhammad Fathi Hiasat said that this comes in line with King Abdullah II's constant support for the role of Jordanian women in all fields and especially their role in the military.

Hiasat added that the King once told Jordanian women to “not be wary of participating” and to “always move forward” considering women to be a huge part of the progress of Jordan.

Notably, Thnaibat is the first woman to fly a combat aircraft at the level of the Jordanian Armed Forces.