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  • Women At Wheel, Cinemas Reopened: 5 Key Reforms Under Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince

    The decision by Saudi Arabia to allow alcohol sales to non-Muslim diplomats, according to two sources, is the latest in a series of reforms aimed at projecting a more open, moderate image. Here are five other headline-grabbing changes implemented in recent years under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose reputation was dealt a major blow by the 2018 murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

  • Women in Saudi more career-focused than men: LinkedIn Report

    The report reveals that 61 percent of Saudi women actively pursued career changes compared to 57 percent of men. Their motivations differ, too. While better pay remains a shared goal (39 perent for both genders), women prioritise work-life balance (34 percent) significantly more than men (30 percent). This suggests a focus on both professional success and fulfilling personal lives.

  • Saudi Ambassador to the US to Chair International Women in Defense Program at World Defense Show 2024 in February

    Saudi Ambassador to the United States of America Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz will chair the International Women in Defense Program, which aims to promote women's participation and celebrate their significant role in the defense sector.

  • Former Barcelona manager Lluis Cortes named Saudi Arabia women’s head coach

    Former Barcelona and Ukraine manager Lluis Cortes has been named as Saudi Arabia women’s national team head coach. Cortes, 37, signed a four-year contract until 2027 and replaces former Finland international Rosa Lappi-Seppala, who left in October by mutual consent.

  • World Bank: Saudi Arabia’s Non-Oil Sectors Continue to Grow, Women’s Participation in Workforce Doubles

    The World Bank (WB) report titled "Structural Reforms and Shifting Social Norms to Increase Women's Labor Force Participation" revealed the latest economic developments in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The report indicates that the efforts towards economic diversification in the region have started to show positive results, but there is still a need for further reforms. According to the report, the number of workers in the Saudi private sector increased by approximately 153,300 by the end of the first half of 2023 compared to the end of the first half of 2022, with the total number of workers being around 2.3 million. The report also highlights that the participation of Saudi women in the workforce has doubled within six years, rising from 17.4% in early 2017 to 35.3% in the second quarter of 2023.

  • Bechtel Partners with the Saudi Women Engineers Society

    The new partnership will support Saudi’s Vision 2030 goal to empower women in the region by increasing career opportunities, including development and training, for women in the workforce. “Bringing more diverse talent into the engineering and STEM fields in Saudi Arabia is crucial to delivering on Vision 2030's goals,” said Abdul-Rahman Al-Ghabban, president of Saudi Arabian Bechtel Company (SABCO) and regional manager for the Middle East Region at Bechtel. “Bechtel is partnering with SWES with the goal of inspiring more women in Saudi Arabia – and around the world – to pursue engineering careers and to become future leaders in our industry.”

  • Bechtel in new initiative to promote construction jobs for women in Saudi Arabia

    US-based engineering and construction firm Bechtel has launched a new partnership with Saudi Women Engineers Society (SWES) to promote construction careers for women in Saudi Arabia. Bechtel said it would support not-for-profit SWES with professional development, skills enhancement, and career advancement opportunities for Saudi national women engineers. It said the new partnership was in support of Saudi’s Vision 2030 goal to empower women in the region by increasing career opportunities, including development and training, for women in the workforce.

  • Women at the forefront: Saudi’s pursuit of gender equality

    A key outcome of the economic diversification efforts outlined in Vision 2030 is to increase women’s participation in the Saudi labor market. In 2022, women’s participation in the labor force stood at 37 percent. Statistics from the General Statistical Authority showed an increase in the participation of Saudi women in the 15-24 age group from 48 percent in the second quarter to 50.1 percent in the third quarter of 2022.

  • Saudi Arabia explores women’s buying power with 30% entering work force

    Greater education levels and a decline in the number of births per Saudi woman, from over seven in the 1970s to 2.8 according to the latest census, are also contributing factors. “In general, the fewer children a woman has, the more she’s able to participate in the workforce.” S&P Global said in September 2023. Demah Banajah, 28, a business analyst in Jeddah who has been working since 2016, told Al-Monitor, “Just 30 years ago,, the default aspiration of most Saudi teenage girls was to become moms. ... For the new generation it is no longer about whether to work or not, it is what profession I want. My nieces and nephews even question why their moms don't work. For them it is weird if you stay at home!”

  • Saudi Arabia explores women’s buying power with 30% entering work force

    Greater education levels and a decline in the number of births per Saudi woman, from over seven in the 1970s to 2.8 according to the latest census, are also contributing factors. “In general, the fewer children a woman has, the more she’s able to participate in the workforce.” S&P Global said in September 2023. Demah Banajah, 28, a business analyst in Jeddah who has been working since 2016, told Al-Monitor, “Just 30 years ago,, the default aspiration of most Saudi teenage girls was to become moms. ... For the new generation it is no longer about whether to work or not, it is what profession I want. My nieces and nephews even question why their moms don't work. For them it is weird if you stay at home!”