The ambassador of Riyadh to the United States claims that the “Saudi Vision 2030” economic diversification agenda has changed women’s lives in the Kingdom by enabling them to pursue greater opportunities in the public and private sectors through regulatory reforms.
On the sidelines of the eighth Future Investment Initiative, Princess Reema bint Bandar stated during a panel discussion at the first-ever HERizon Summit that the proper policies should be put in place to hasten the advancement of women in the business and entrepreneurial sphere.
The event, which was started with the theme “Invest in Women,” intends to close the gender gap and enable women to become powerful players in the global workforce.
According to a World Bank report in October 2024, Saudi Arabia has made strides toward gender parity, as evidenced by the Kingdom’s successful increase in female labour participation from 22% in 2016 to 34% by the end of 2023.
“The Kingdom’s progress since Vision 2030 is quite astounding. The biggest change has been made is the regulatory frameworks and the laws that have been implemented, which allowed not just the government to push forward on the inclusion of women, but it also created a framework for the private sector to understand their responsibilities,” said Princess Reema, as reported by the Arab News.
“When we talk about the accelerators for the inclusion of women, more policies and investments have to be made. It is not just the policy on paper; it is all about the implementation, the follow through, and the creation of a space where the woman herself understands what proportion of resources she needs,” she added.
The top diplomat stated that training and education investments, internships, and mentorship could assist women in the Kingdom in exploring distinct career opportunities in new industries.
“Our women do need the exposure to help them level up. The more we engage with women from other countries and men from other countries and learn and expose ourselves, these Saudi women will be women who can work anywhere in the world. That’s the goal,” Princess Reema concluded.
Image Credits: saudiembassy.net