Female workforce in Saudi Arabia is all set to springboard Vision 2030

As the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia prepares for a post-oil future with its ambitious Vision 2030, women are all set to drive much of the country’s transformation. Female participation in Saudi Arabia’s labour force stands at 31% in 2021, according to the World Bank. 

Sample this. In February 2022, when Spanish railway operator Renfe posted a job application for female bullet train drivers on the Makka-Madinah route, 28,000 Saudi women applied for a mere 30 posts. It is reflective of the surge in work-ready women. 

We hosted a webinar titled ‘Women Leaders of Saudi Arabia 2030’ to get a broad and deep understanding of how the gender shift impacts work in the kingdom. Weighing in on the hospitality, tourism, and energy sectors with their knowledgeable insights are two stellar industry experts — Reem AlGhanim, who is in the senior management at SATORP, a joint venture between Saudi Aramco & Total Energies; and Sarah Soliman Gasim, Head of Hospitality at Public Investment Fund – Projects. 

Anchored by Giulia Chirilov, senior consultant, Michael Page - Saudi Arabia, the conversation dives deep into all aspects of female participation in kingdom’s labour force. 

Here are excerpts from the riveting session. 

Question: What are the key projects underway in your industry, and how are women involved in them?  

Sarah: The Public Investment Fund (PIF) has launched several mega projects, the most popular being the Neom future city development project. Women in Saudi Arabia have proven themselves in the workplace over the last ten years. Their talent and skills have forced employers to create an inclusive, professional, and comfortable work environment. In the last few years, there has been an uptick in the number of women in senior positions, too. In both international and local organizations in KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), it is now fairly easy to spot women in various roles from engineers to sales advisors. What is perhaps unique to KSA is that there is no gender-based pay scale. All pay scales are based on skill and the specific job. Therefore, women are paid on par.

Reem: One of the biggest projects at Satorp is Phase Two of its partnership with Amiral Petrochemicals. Satorp was one of the first refineries to hire women across various roles within the company. Our diversity is not represented only by gender. We also celebrate age, geographical and cultural diversity, which brings together different experiences and thinking. We're partnering with educational institutes in and outside of Jubail to strengthen the company’s pipeline of local, especially female talent. 

Q: Are your respective industries taking any measures to decrease the gender disparity? 

Reem: Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 has enabled a lot of positive movement in closing the gender diversity gap. A new report from WPC (World Petroleum Council) and Boston Consulting Group called ‘Untapped Reserves’ says that while the representation of women in the energy industry has not changed much globally (it is at 22%), Saudi Arabia has made great progress. I do see more being done to support the advancement of women in the energy industry. As women are hired, they are moving up in their careers, shifting to different specializations, and using opportunities to work either remotely or in the field. I would like to see better female representation in senior roles, too. 

Sarah: Even a decade ago, the stereotype of the working woman was restricted to such industries as education, healthcare, and, perhaps, retail. Today, we live in a completely new era in which women can work in any industry that they desire, and they will be supported not only by the employer and the leadership but also by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. You might find the glass ceiling in other industries but not in the hospitality sector due to a high level of manpower diversification. The country is offering hospitality degrees for women and providing opportunities for learning and internships in the hospitality and tourism sectors. All these factors are bringing a massive change in the tourism sector. 

Q: How can we move towards a growth mindset, especially in gender diversity? 

Sarah: Companies must work harder to empower their female employees. Just like companies encourage the process of Saudization, the same can be done to empower women by offering support where required. Growth will follow. 

Reem: One of the ways leaders can help employees manage change is by instilling psychological safety in the workplace. This is important so that employees don’t feel fear and can innovate and make mistakes and learn from them. Leaders must give employees the space to try and change things. This is how we can move towards a growth mindset.  

Q: How can Saudi Arabia increase the pipeline of women in the energy industry?  

Reem: The pipeline of women in the energy sector is currently suffering from a ‘stuck pipe’. This refers to the situation in which girls and women are unable to align their education to industry requirements. Changing this, for the past two years, the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals is offering degrees for women. Similarly, Lena Academy, the leading national academy for women, is offering programs in technical development in different disciplines. This is encouraging, and I hope more educational institutes follow. It is a starting point to widen the shallow pool of female candidates. 

Where I have seen women participate, I have seen a lot of innovation and creativity. Their impact has been huge on the workplace. Women are inherently better at making connections between work and life. This makes them great resources for any workplace. 

If you are looking for new career growth opportunities, then apply for jobs in Saudi Arabia. If you are a business in search of the perfect candidate, contact us to be your recruitment partner.