Saudi Reforms Boost Women's Economic Participation: Deputy Minister
Initiatives such as Qurrah and Wusool support female workforce participation.
Riyadh - Dr. Tariq Alhamad, Saudi Arabia's deputy minister for international affairs at the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD), highlighted the impact of Vision 2030 reforms on women's economic participation during the recent UN High-Level Political Forum in New York City.
He emphasized that these reforms go beyond policy and focus on creating support systems, including employment opportunities, childcare services, and reliable transportation to facilitate women's full participation in society.According to Alhamad, female workforce participation has seen significant improvement, rising from 19.7% in 2018 to 36.3% in the first quarter of 2025.
Notable initiatives driving this change include Qurrah, which supports over 40,000 women with childcare services, and Wusool, providing transportation for more than 300,000 women to and from work.The HRSD has also extended maternity leave to 12 weeks with full pay, and nearly 1.3 million women are now engaged in freelance work.
Alhamad stressed that these changes require robust institutions capable of partnering effectively, transparent systems, and frameworks aligned both nationally and globally.
The Ministry introduced new legal frameworks for volunteering, donations, and non-profit work and is collaborating with the National Center for Non-Profit Sector to expand civil society's role in service delivery and innovation.The HRSD is actively contributing to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Gender Equality (SDG 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reduced Inequality (SDG 10), Strong Institutions (SDG 16), and Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17).
Dr. Tariq underscored the importance of international partnerships, citing collaborations with the International Labour Organization and the World Bank that ensure national reforms meet global standards while remaining grounded in local contexts.Vision 2030 shares goals with the 2030 Agenda but is tailored to address Saudi Arabia's specific needs, according to Alhamad.
The Minister of Economy and Planning, Faisal Al-Ibrahim, addressed the UN High-Level Political Forum, emphasizing that the Kingdom's efforts are not just abstract goals but are integrated into institution-building, partnership formation, and community service.
He emphasized that these reforms go beyond policy and focus on creating support systems, including employment opportunities, childcare services, and reliable transportation to facilitate women's full participation in society.According to Alhamad, female workforce participation has seen significant improvement, rising from 19.7% in 2018 to 36.3% in the first quarter of 2025.
Notable initiatives driving this change include Qurrah, which supports over 40,000 women with childcare services, and Wusool, providing transportation for more than 300,000 women to and from work.The HRSD has also extended maternity leave to 12 weeks with full pay, and nearly 1.3 million women are now engaged in freelance work.
Alhamad stressed that these changes require robust institutions capable of partnering effectively, transparent systems, and frameworks aligned both nationally and globally.
The Ministry introduced new legal frameworks for volunteering, donations, and non-profit work and is collaborating with the National Center for Non-Profit Sector to expand civil society's role in service delivery and innovation.The HRSD is actively contributing to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Gender Equality (SDG 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reduced Inequality (SDG 10), Strong Institutions (SDG 16), and Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17).
Dr. Tariq underscored the importance of international partnerships, citing collaborations with the International Labour Organization and the World Bank that ensure national reforms meet global standards while remaining grounded in local contexts.Vision 2030 shares goals with the 2030 Agenda but is tailored to address Saudi Arabia's specific needs, according to Alhamad.
The Minister of Economy and Planning, Faisal Al-Ibrahim, addressed the UN High-Level Political Forum, emphasizing that the Kingdom's efforts are not just abstract goals but are integrated into institution-building, partnership formation, and community service.
