CAIRO — Nourhan Saad, 22, and Hajer Jamal, 25, became the first flight attendants with hearing impairment to work in the Arab world on a Nov. 5 flight from Cairo to Khartoum.

Saad and Jamal were chosen for the unique experience as part of an initiative called Humanitarian Flights that raises awareness in the world and the Middle East in particular of the rights of people with disabilities. In December last year, another flight from Cairo and Khartoum featured a flight attendant with Down syndrome. Both flights came ahead of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Saad and Jamal received training with the regular flight attendant crew of the Sudanese Badr Airlines and as the flight took off from Cairo International Airport, they gave a unique welcome for the passengers, performing the song "Helwa Ya Baladi" by Dalida in sign language.

Reda Abdel Aziz, the regional director of the Cairo-based International Center for Disability Sciences (ICDS), a co-sponsor of Humanitarian Flights, told Al-Monitor that the initiative's successful second flight reflects the great interest of the Egyptian state in the rights of people with disabilities.