RIYADH, 3 October 2005 — Private institutions have been given two years to submit applications to the Labor Ministry to open women’s sections in their premises.

Deputy Labor Minister Dr. Ahmad Al-Zamil said at a press conference here yesterday that, according to the new law approved by the Council of Ministers last week, clearance has been given for opening female sections in all private and public institutions.

He said the ministry had given a two-year period so that as many private institutions and businessmen as possible come forward. Two years would allow them to create the necessary areas in their workplaces.

“This does not mean, however, that any private institution that comes forward before the end of the two-year period would not be given a permit if it had fulfilled the regulations,” he said.

Dr. Al-Zamil said according to the new law, women are now able to work in all fields, in addition to the selling of lingerie and women’s garments, as long as the occupation complied with certain regulations.

The conditions for employing women in new fields are as follows: That the job is not contrary to Islamic beliefs and there is no mixing with men; that the jobs suit the female nature; that the female’s guardian approves of her working.

He said institutions that wanted to open separate branches for women with an all-female staff would have to receive permission to do so from the appropriate ministry, but an institution that wants to employ females and open a female section in its own working place would not need any permission to do so.

“If a businessman, for example, wanted to open a separate female car showroom for women he would have to get a permit from the Ministry of Commerce for its operation. But institutions that want to open a female section in the same working place need no permission to do so,” he said.

Commenting on why the ministry requested the permission of a female’s guardian to work in a certain field, Dr. Al-Zamil said there was a ministerial regulation on this matter and that the ministry was concerned about women’s welfare.

“We want to assure all families that their daughters are working in a field which is compatible with our Islamic and cultural values,” he said.

He did not find the guardian’s approval of great significance since it was part of the religion. “In Islam a woman cannot even leave her house without her husband’s approval so I do not find any problem in this.”

Dr. Al-Zamil also called on Saudis who registered themselves as “jobless” in the ministry’s branches to come forward to seek jobs, saying that if they are not serious they should withdraw their files and leave the room for others. He said of the 150,000 registered jobless at the ministry, only 50,000 had come forward for jobs.