Inspiring Woman Who Runs Harley-Davidson Dealership in Cairo, Egypt

This great article from a few years ago tells the story of Egyptian woman Engy Ghattas, at the time a 23-year-old who runs of Cairo’s Harley-Davidson dealership. Women and Harleys don’t generally go together even in the US, but to see it in Egypt, a still conservative, old-fashioned middle eastern country, seems unfathomable. And yet, she runs the dealership, and in the eyes of her family–her father and brother own it–and customers, she is the reason for its increasing success. Her passion for Harleys is an inspiration for customers, many of whom have never understood the appeal of a motorcycle, especially in the overcrowded, angry bustle on the streets of Cairo. And yet, since she began, sales have increased, and continue to increase drastically. This article made me admire this woman so much because, as the article puts it, she is bucking “a laundry list of stereotypes and expectations, be they male-female, east-west or young-old,” all through a love of motorcycles.

She is another example of how motorcycles can empower women, but being from Egypt, cultural standards prohibit her from riding in public. That decision is left up to her husband, who was handed the responsibility from her father and brother who previously held that power. To allow her to do so, though it would make her immensely happy, could easily be seen by others as an affront to the established cultural norms that rarely face challenge. But Ghattas understands. She knows how far women have come in her country, and understands that that change often takes a long, long time. After all, if you would have told an Egyptian that a woman only 23 years old would be running a Harley Davidson dealership even just a few years ago, he would have scoffed in disbelief, maybe even questioned your sanity.

For a free legal consultation,
call 1-800-414-5196

While she understands and respectfully acknowledges Egyptian tradition, she said that her husband must accept her Harley riding as a precondition to marriage, saying “It’s the bike and me or nothing.” She will also continue to work at the dealership after marriage, which also goes against tradition where women are supposed to take care of the house all day, everyday. But that clearly is not the kind of woman Ghattas is.

But despite her free-two-wheeling spirit, Ghattas remains a woman raised according to good Egyptian manners. She doesn’t go to bars or wear short skirts. She’s just a good-mannered girl who happens to love Harleys. And she is also a role model for all women who have to navigate between tradition and their true passions, and is an inspiration for the grace by which she does so. Kudos to her and her motorcycle-loving spirit! Hopefully someday soon she will be roaring through the streets of Cairo.