Saudi women now comprise 37 per cent of the workforce in the kingdom, the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, Ahmed Al Rajhi, has said.
In 2016, only 17.7 per cent of the workforce were female.
About 2.2 million Saudis are now employed in the private sector, the highest number in the country's history.
"Young Saudi girls are passionate, driven and skilled," said Shurouq Ahmed, a female sports trainer in Jeddah.
"They want to go out there and work. They are independent and have always been this way, but now the difference is they have the chance and the opportunity thanks to our leadership and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman."
Saudi women aged 15 to 24 are actively taking up more jobs, statistics show. Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Statistics’ (Gastat) said their participation rate rose from eight per cent in the second quarter of last year to 50.1 per cent in the third.
Basma Bouzo, co-founder of Saudi Design Week and Bouqo, a consulting agency, said: "In the firm we’re actually all females with the exception of one male.
"At SDW, we consciously make sure we have a balanced female-to-male ratio for speakers."
Ghalia Alshareef, an entrepreneur and chef in Khobar, said: "Saudi women have always supported each other.
"If a woman wants to become a baker, all her friends will start sharing her social media page and ordering from her, or if there's a designer, suddenly all your family and friends will become your first customers.
"This is our culture and I have to stay it's impressive and keeps us together, giving us motivation and strength to do better."
Aloula, one of the country's leading non-profit organisations, was founded by seven Saudi women in 1962 under the name Aljamia Alnsaia Alkhiria Aloula.
Aloula supports underprivileged women and children, empowering females by providing them with basic needs, health support and training.
The organisation helps educate women by training them to use computers, teaching them nursing assistance and providing self-confidence and entrepreneurial skills. Aloula also established an orphanage and an elderly home.
"In 2003, we established a ladies club for women and children with swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts and a gym for them and their children," said Aloula board member Nasiba Hafiz, a Saudi fashion designer in Jeddah.
In 2017, Aloula developed a new strategy that focused on fighting poverty through early intervention with educational, professional and physical training.
"We provide basic needs for the families — from housing, food school supplies and health care — so they can live a quality life," said Ms Hafiz. "I joined Aloula in 2020 during lockdown and it was one of the best blessings for me ... working with such great women has taught me so much.
"My role before becoming a board member was using some of the leftover materials from years back and making use of it — recycling, upcycling, reusing anything we had to create a fashionable collection to raise money for the families of Aloula."
Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
MATCH INFO
Who: France v Italy
When: Friday, 11pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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