WKND Conversations: This female Emirati car mechanic means business in the garage

Recently, Huda Al Matroushi, Sharjah’s first female car mechanic, received a call she wasn’t really expecting. The caller was none other than His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, who not only congratulated her for her efforts, but even joked that he’d like to get his car repaired by her one day. It is possibly the biggest validation of Matroushi’s work — a passion for cars that has now turned into a business with Imex Car Service, a car repair shop in Sharjah. Matroushi, who confesses she’s obsessed with ‘fixing things’, talks about her love for cars and why ‘anger’ fuels her passion.

What led you to start a repair shop?

This is not a job for me, it is my hobby. I am not doing it with a commercial aim, though, of course, it is important. I want people to know how a garage is being run. If you have any problems, we can solve them. It’s not about repairing something or just fixing a part. It’s a passion that I have turned into a business.

As a child, you were obsessed with fixing toys. Is this where your love for cars took root?

When I was a child, I was with my cousin, who had a racing car toy that was broken. I tried my best to fix it. I did not know how I could do that, but I was determined. I would be up till 2 am and the next day, I’d be woken up to go to school. I’d say, “I am tired” (laughs). I took a week to fix it. From that time onwards, I developed this compulsive need to fix things.

After high school, I needed to go to the university, which wouldn’t accept me because my grades were low. And neither could I repeat the high school, because I had passed. That time, I told my father, “Dad, I need to go to university.” He told me, “How will you go if your marks are low?” Then he said something that has stayed with me, “Try yourself. You have to stand on your own two feet.” Till date, I thank my dad for saying that to me. He has made me strong. Because of this, I now know what is right or wrong, or how to solve problems on my own.

Recently, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, called you to congratulate. That is quite a validation of your work.

He said, “I am proud of you.” I made me so happy. It took me by surprise. It hadn’t occurred to me that someone like that would call. All this has been reassuring. He told me that I am a powerful woman who can reach anywhere if she puts her mind to it. I said, “Absolutely, I will.”

What are the challenges of being a female car mechanic?

There are many difficulties. But you have to keep reminding yourself that nothing is over till such time you quit. Whenever you have a goal in mind, you have to reach it. You have to keep trying. Because of Covid, I had to face challenges. Apart from that, I also challenge myself. This is why I am in the business — it’s about learning and evolving as a professional, as a person. During my free time, I’d go to industrial areas in Sharjah and Dubai to understand the process of repair. People would ask, “What are you doing here?” I’d say this is my hobby. I would go underneath the car, understand why a part would break despite the warranty. From 2014 to now, I have driven a car and had no problem with it. I even drive in the desert at times. But I know what I am doing with this car.

Do people frown looking at a woman fixing a car?

You have to create a space for yourself. Traditionally, it’s been a business that only men have been a part of. In Europe today, women work in garages all the time. Ten years ago, there were no majors in electrical or mechanical (engineering) for women, or very few of them actually opted for those kind of specialisations. But now, more women are keen.

You have mostly male employees in the garage. How do they perceive your feat as Sharjah’s first female car mechanic?

They are my second family. But yes, there are times when they’d rather volunteer to change parts or fix something, but I step in nonetheless. I tell them this is my work, how will they judge it if they don’t get to see it themselves. I used to have five or six people, now I only have two people because of the Covid situation. I am an admin, but I have to work and set an example to ensure that my employees are not stressed.

anamika@khaleejtimes.com