JEDDAH, 6 December 2003 — A women-only industrial city, the first of its kind, is to be established here, according to Al-Eqtisadiah business daily, a sister publication of Arab News.
The project was proposed by a group of Saudi businesswomen and has been welcomed by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the paper said quoting Hussa Al-Aun, a prominent businesswoman.
The industrial city would focus on manufacturing of foodstuffs, clothes and handicrafts and offer training opportunities for women in crafts like maintenance, painting, carpentry and masonry, the paper said.
“We have received support from the ministry as well as from private and public companies,” Al-Aun said.
A constituent council for the industrial city would be established soon, she said.
There are several proposals for the location of the new industrial city, which could be either an independent complex or part of the existing industrial city.
The new project aims to provide jobs to Saudi women who have completed secondary education. Administrative jobs will be earmarked for university graduates. “In the beginning, we will also make use of experienced non-Saudi women,” Al-Aun said.
The women-only industrial city could help cut down the growing unemployment rate among Saudi women, estimated at more than 21 percent.
Such cities would provide Saudi women with the necessary privacy and a conducive work environment.
“The new industrial city should have a specialized training center to help women develop their talents and train them to work at factories,” Al-Aun said. “This is essential to cut unemployment among our female graduates.”
