Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Sep 18, 2025

Survey: Next 5 years will bring the best for Saudi women

Survey: Next 5 years will bring the best for Saudi women

Saudi Arabia celebrated International Women’s Day, which falls on March 8, at a time when Saudi women achieved high levels in quality of life and empowerment in almost all walks of life, especially in the diplomatic and sports fields.
According to a recent survey, carried out by the King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue, the reality is better than what it was five years ago with regard to the quality of life of Saudi women. The survey showed that the next five years will be the best for Saudi women.

Abdullah Al-Fawzan, deputy head of the center, said participants in the survey said that the next five years represent what is best for Saudi women. The study also showed that the share of women in the labor market reached 35 percent, while the unemployment rate among women dropped to 20 percent, and the percentage of female participation in high and middle administrative positions reached an estimated 39 percent.

The year 2017 witnessed a giant leap in women’s empowerment and that was accelerated after the historic decision to allow women to drive in 2018. It was followed by the passing of the Harassment Law, which emphasized the protection of women and the advancement of their status. Then came other landmark decisions such as permitting sports for girls in schools, and allowing families to attend football matches in stadiums. Saudi women have also obtained permission to participate in the Olympic Games. The women also got licenses to fly airplanes for the first time in the history of Saudi Arabia.

The year 2019 witnessed another milestone in the empowerment of Saudi women when Princess Reema bint Bandar was appointed the Saudi ambassador to the United States of America. This was for the first time a Saudi woman assumed the position of ambassador to a country.

At present, there are five Saudi women serving as ambassadors. They include Amal Al-Moallimi (Norway), Inas Al-Shahwan (Sweden), Nesreen Al-Shebel (Finland), and Haifa Al-Jedea, ambassador and head of Saudi Arabia’s Mission to the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC).

The Saudi leadership has taken many measures to enable Saudi women to assume leadership positions in the country. Women’s empowerment received a shot in the arm with the historic decision of King Abdullah to appoint women to the Shoura Council. In January 2013, a total of 30 women were appointed to the previously all-male consultative council. According to the royal decree, women should always hold at least a fifth of the 150-seat council.

In addition, women have been permitted to contest municipal elections and these followed the appointment of several women to leadership positions in both government and private sectors. The Kingdom’s Vision 2030 envisages a pioneering role for women in societal and economic development. There is an independent strategic goal in the Vision aimed at raising women’s competence and increasing their economic participation in the labor market.

President of the Human Rights Commission Dr. Hala Al-Tuwaijri recently indicated that the Kingdom has made great strides in the field of empowering women. The Kingdom’s Vision adopted women's empowerment as a strategic goal and it aimed to increase their participation in the labor market. Subsequently, a gender balance center was established in 2021.

As a result of these efforts, the share of women in the labor market increased during the 2017- 2022 period from 21.2 percent to 34.7 percent and the rate of their economic participation increased during the same period from 17 percent to 37 percent. The percentage of women’s representation in middle and high administrative positions jumped from 28.6 percent to 39 percent between 2017 and 2022.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Did the Houthis disrupt the internet in the Middle East? Submarine cables cut in the Red Sea
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
×