Last Sunday, while delegates to the 4th Human Resources Development Forum in Riyadh were discussing obstacles keeping Saudi women from the work force, the managers of Al-Saudia Files Factory were outlining the benefits of their recently opened women’s division. Owner and General Manager of Al-Saudia Files Factory Abdul Mohsen A. Al-Aboud and General Manager (Women’s Division) Yusra Ali Al-Khalifa are partners at the office and at home.

Six weeks ago at Al-Saudia Files Factory located in Baghlaf Industrial Area, the factory gates opened for the first women employees. In a newly constructed building at the front of the property, the all-female Saudi team works five days a week from 7 to 3. While the women were initially unskilled in the required tasks, they now produce at least double the amount of expatriate male employees performing similar jobs. Based on this success, the factory management plans to expand from the current 12 to about 50 women workers.

“We employ about 120 male staff and labor from Saudi Arabia, Nepal, India and Bangladesh in two other factories. We did not fire any male workers in our factory expansion. What we have done is stopped the march of development for men by adding women to our team,” said Al-Aboud.

The two GMs are delighted with the outcome of their new venture. Al-Saudia Files Factory wanted to grow operations without the expense and issues associated with the employment of foreign labor. Additionally, Al-Aboud wanted to bring his wife into the business in a more active manner. Employing women in the factory was the ideal solution.

“I was the manager of a salon in the past and felt that I was more than able to manage a women’s section at the factory,” said Al-Khalifa. “There is an enormous pool of Saudi women very eager to work. In the end we hired only single women from modest economic backgrounds living in Alkhobar. They arrive before 7 a.m., work all day enthusiastically and we don’t have to worry about hassles such as visas, housing, iqamas, agencies, permits and airline tickets. To expand our operations all we did was construct a small, one-story building so the women could work together in comfort. In the future our finances will not be drained by rising work force overhead and our quality and production are skyrocketing.”

Starting salaries of the workers range from SR1,200 to SR1,600 at the start. The salaries will rise as the workers gain experience. Currently, some of the employees are high-school graduates but the factory will hire only college graduates in the future. With the glut of college educated women wanting jobs, there is no need to settle for less.

Al-Saudia Files Factory has been in operation for 15 years and has a well established customer base. They produce customized office supplies and promotional materials for local businesses in the medical, trade and governmental sectors. At this time of the year there is a huge demand for the factory’s customized Hijrah calendars. It has been decided that the women employees will do the detail work on all the products.

“Saudi Arabia has joined the WTO and it is a concern for us. To stay ahead we will have to lead on quality, design, materials and delivery,” explained Al-Aboud. “Our work force must have the agility and skills to quickly produce special orders for promotional items. We believe that Saudi women will want to be part of a winning team, since success for the factory will amount to economic stability for their families.”

The factory management has capitalized on the fact that women in the Kingdom are underemployed. Excellent workers have been hired at very competitive rates. The environment in the women’s division is modern and clean with a focus on performance. Al-Khalifa’s office looks out on the factory floor and supervision is tight. There are targets for production and quality. Slackers are not tolerated.

What has been tolerated and even encouraged is the involvement of the workers’ parents in their employment. Most parents came to see the job site and met the managers before their daughters were employed. Parents have been told to call at any time with any concern. Now, fathers drive the car pools that get the women back and forth to the factory. In the future, a minibus will be hired for this task.

“Making our employment environment and our jobs acceptable to both the Saudi women and their families aids us in ensuring a favorable outcome,” said Al-Khalifa. “Excuses are numerous about why women aren’t working in Saudi Arabia. We have proven that where there is a will, there is a way. Our employees are glad to make something useful with their own hands. They are very proud of the finished products, too. That benefits everyone.”

As for Al-Aboud and Al-Khalifa, they are extremely satisfied with the new women’s division at the factory and they wanted to emphasize that it’s a family affair.

“We want to thank our children who have lent a hand at home during these busy months. The neighborhood restaurants are helping out, too,” said Al-Aboud with a twinkling smile. “Our extended family in Al-Ahsa is very proud of what we have done at the factory and they call us regularly to hear how things are progressing. Our success shows that Saudi society is ready to welcome an expanded role for women in the workplace.”