Saudi Arabia empowers women to build stronger nation

The Kingdom’s decision to allow Saudi women to drive is a historic move that promises to have a huge effect on Saudi society and, by extension, the national economy.
This decision is one of several major reform initiatives undertaken by King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman which will go a long way in promoting women’s leadership in all sectors of Saudi society.
Since Saudi women account for 43.45 percent of the population as per 2015 World Bank data, the new reform measures pave the way for tapping its demographic dividend across the socio-economic spectrum. In May this year, King Salman issued a royal decree allowing women to work in the government and other restricted sectors, and limiting control of male guardians.
These initiatives undertaken by the Saudi government under King Salman will promote “women’s rights and their contribution to development,” said Bandar bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, president of the Riyadh-based Human Rights Commission (HRC), on Wednesday. Al-Aiban affirmed that “the decision to allow women’s driving is a culmination of women’s rights and their contribution to development.”
No doubt, King Salman will be known as an advocate for women’s rights in Saudi Arabia by generations to come. Women, today, have occupied top positions in different fields including government agencies. The current Shoura Council, constituted by King Salman, has 20 new female faces, as 10 women members retained their posts out of 30 women appointed by the late King Abdullah to the council for the first time in January 2013.
The historic decrees gave women a 20 percent quota in the council, a body appointed by the king to advise him on policies and legislation.
If we move further, we come across scores of examples in which women in Saudi Arabia have occupied senior positions, while their representation in almost all sectors grows rapidly in terms of percentage.
Three women were appointed to top jobs in Saudi Arabia’s male-dominated financial sector earlier this year, in what marks a historical moment for both the industry and the wider society. Sarah Al-Suhaimi is now the chair of the Kingdom’s stock exchange, the Tadawul, while Rania Nashar became the CEO of Samba Financial Group. Another woman, Latifa Al-Sabhan, has been appointed chief financial officer of Arab National Bank (ANB).
Referring to women’s employment and the decision to lift the ban on driving, former SAGIA Governor Abdullatif Al-Othman, who is now the chairman of Dussur, an organization working for industrialization away from oil, said that “the king’s decree regarding female driving is one of several reform decisions that aim to position our society and economy to be highly productive and competitive.
“With this decision, a significant portion of the labor market and society will be much more accessible and productive,” said Al-Othman, adding that the initiative to empower women is “a sign of the confidence by our leadership in the maturity and potential of our society.”
“There is nothing wrong in women driving a car, especially with the restrictions that have been placed,” said Hussain Zulkarnain, a prominent Islamic scholar and social worker. “A good aspect of the decision is that now perhaps women drivers from abroad can also be hired for families to pick and drop the girls in schools and universities,” said Zulkarnain. “Far better than male ones, as these ladies can live inside the house and also help in household chores without the need for hiring separate maids,” he added.
Commenting on the reform initiatives taken by the Kingdom that will empower women, prominent educationist and businessman Zafar Sareshwala said: “King Salman, a visionary, is on the right path of social reforms coupled with a lot of economic reforms, which the Saudi administration has undertaken.” As regards growing women’s employment, he expressed happiness over the resolve of the Saudi government to hire more women.
The number of private-sector Saudi female employees registered at the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) reached 496,800 by the end of 2016. This marks a 144.62 percent increase from the 203,088 jobs that were occupied by the end of 2012. The number of private-sector jobs available to Saudi women represented 12 percent of private-sector jobs for Saudis, rising to 30 percent by the end of 2016, according to GOSI statistics.
“This trend of growing women’s employment will have a direct impact on the Saudi economy,” said Dr. Mohammed Mukhtar Khan, international relations manager at Al Hokair Group’s education division.
“Saudi working women have, no doubt, passed several milestones over the past few years and are making excellent contributions in the Kingdom’s development and economic growth,” said Mohammad Zafrul Islam of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Many women in Saudi Arabia hold key positions and have proved their capabilities and leadership qualities. They no longer require men to represent them or speak on their behalf. Over the last three decades, women have been at the forefront of development in the fields of education, media, innovation and empowerment.