JEDDAH, 11 May 2005 — Sales goals met? Top-notch customer service? Charged-up, motivated employees?
If these sound like the wistful dreams of merchants, restaurateurs and businessmen, then it’s time to wake up. Saudi workers are arriving on the scene who possess all these qualities, and these dream workers wear abayas.
Saudi women are finding their places in the workplace. They already have proven themselves in many fields. Their contributions improve hospitals, banks, schools, decorating firms, real estate and other businesses.
They’ve also sought the chances offered to them in order to develop their skills by training programs and job offers presented by some establishments in new fields for women.
Abdul Latif Jameel Co. Ltd. has been a leader in helping youth achieve independence through its Fund for Training and Development in education and business. Instead of ignoring them, the firm gives women the chance to learn various skills and provide them with jobs afterward. Women’s projects consist of decoration, beauty salons, handcrafts, photography and others.
“We started in 2003 with the target of graduating 10,000 people by the year of 2007,” fund administrator Adel Alaa told Arab News. “We want to give these unemployed women the opportunities to be better, useful and well-qualified individuals.” Businesses are reaping benefits from their new employees.
“No one understands women the way a woman does,” said Abdulelah Bassyoni, a manager at Al-Fitaihi Co. “All the girls here are well educated with bachelors’ degrees or diplomas. They’ve expanded their knowledge and experience by taking courses in communications and marketing.”
Bassyoni said the women employees were impressive. “Whenever the opportunity is given to the ladies, they take it seriously and passionately reach the assigned targets. Bonuses are handed over when reaching them as an encouragement.”
If the experience of Al-Fitaihi is the norm, other businesses likely will be lining up to hire Saudi women.
“Our sales have grown since we hired females — especially in the jewelry departments,” Bassyoni said. “We’ve become the trailblazer after opening our branch on Tahlia Street, which is staffed completely by Saudi ladies.”
Unfortunately, despite incredible job performance, in some fields, male customers who confuse traditional values with the economic realities of a changing world can make things hard for these pioneering women, as was the case for two middle-aged women who took jobs as waitresses in the family section of a Jeddah restaurant.
“They were more active than the male waiters,” the restaurant manager said. “I gave them an extra SR300 more than a usual waiter’s salary to encourage them.”
The heartwarming dedication the Saudi women showed in providing for their families and the diligence they exhibited in serving customers was overshadowed by the narrow-mindedness of a few male customers.
“One of them was working to support her family that consists of six children after her husband became disabled,” the manager said. “She stayed at work for four months; the other stayed for three. They left work after being bothered several times by men telling them ‘you shouldn’t work here. A woman’s place is her home.’ They were really sad to leave, but they couldn’t take it anymore.”
Undaunted by the Neanderthal chest-beating, some women are finding work more pleasant by just excluding men altogether from their workplaces. Women-only shopping places are appearing in Jeddah offering 100 percent female service.
Chamelle, which was a beauty salon, now has expanded to include a café, fashion and accessories shops staffed by women and offering more comfort to its customers. Robot Mall, formerly the Jeddah Dome, opened three months ago and decided to cater to women — only.
“We are happy to have the opportunity to work here,” said one saleswoman at Robot Mall. “It all depends on appearance, communication skills and delegation. We have gained a new experience after training and working here.”
With the Ministry of Labor and private-sector establishments committed to training women to occupy important jobs throughout the Kingdom, many employers may find that hiring women is a profitable choice with intelligent, enthusiastic employees bringing new levels of productivity and customer service to the offices, shops, restaurants, malls and other workplaces of Saudi Arabia.
