Rawan Abu Aisha turns a passion for cars into a professional business
LIBYA – A field report by the Chinese news agency Xinhua has highlighted Rawan Abu Aisha, a 25-year-old Libyan woman who has set up a car engine modification business in a workshop in Al-Maya, south-west of Tripoli, entering a field that is still relatively uncommon for women in the country.
The report, which was followed by Al-Marsad, said Abu Aisha grew up watching her father, a mechanic, in his workshop, and her childhood interest in cars gradually grew into a wish to take up the trade professionally.
An entrepreneurship competition that sparked the idea
Abu Aisha said the chance to turn the idea into a business came through an entrepreneurship competition that asked for innovative business proposals. Drawing on her family’s experience, she proposed modifying engines to suit the specific needs of car owners.
The idea began to take shape when a customer agreed to have his car’s engine replaced, and the work later grew into a company, founded in 2022, that modifies engines using custom-designed, made-to-order units.
She said her father’s experience and encouragement gave her the confidence to acquire the skills she needed, while her entrepreneurship studies gave her knowledge of management, marketing and accounting.
From customer referrals to an online audience
According to the report, her studies helped move the business from purely technical work to a more organised management approach. It relied at first on customer referrals, then expanded through the internet and social media.
Abu Aisha said the company’s page has passed 50,000 followers and that demand for its services has grown to the point where her current team struggles to meet every request, which she sees as evidence of interest in her work.
Expansion plans and foreign partnerships
She said the next stage includes expanding the business and increasing its capacity to serve customers, as well as seeking partnerships with foreign companies. She stressed that building a sustainable business requires organised management, continuous development and a long-term vision alongside technical quality.
Women and non-traditional professions
The report noted that society has become more accepting of women working in such fields in recent years, and quoted Abu Aisha as stressing that young women should not let stereotypes define their abilities or career choices.
She urged women to try, learn and gain skills through practice, saying her experience offers an example for those who aspire to work in mechanics, engineering and other non-traditional fields.
She concluded that she hopes to provide services that earn customers’ trust, and that the measure of success in the profession is competence and experience, not gender, which she linked to determination, learning and hands-on work.
