JEDDAH, 17 March 2007 — The role of Saudi businesswomen in economic growth is once again reaffirmed, as Samia Linjawi, the chairwoman of 7L beauty salon, heralded the expansion of her business.
“What is said in the western media about Saudi women being oppressed and marginalized in Saudi society is untrue. Nowadays, Saudi women enjoy leading positions and know their rights and duties in a way that does not contradict with their religion and tradition,” she said.
Saudi women have more than SR40 billion worth of assets in Saudi banks that could be invested in order to allow the economy to grow by developing projects that could also help create jobs for young women in the Kingdom.
Linjawi aims to internationally expand her business. She feels her beauty salon has the international caliber to succeed. “This step requires for our center to be officially registered as a beauty salon and not as a tailors shop,” she said.
She added that when she employs foreigners, she has to bring them into the Kingdom on work visas, saying they are domestic servants or seamstresses. “This is insulting for them especially since they are highly qualified professionals in their fields and have diplomas to work as beauty experts. But this is how it is here,” she said.
Linjawi added that Saudi women are now more aware of the beauty industry. “When a woman takes care of her beauty in beauty salons, she gains a sense of self-confidence that reflects on her success at work and in her social life,” she said, adding that GCC women spend over SR1 million on their hair and skin beauty.
Linjawi believes women that work in beauty salons must be certified and have diplomas in their area of specialty. She added that staff must have diplomas and certificates in their respective field and that uncertified and unofficial beauty salons should not exist anymore.
“Some women feel being interested in a field is enough to qualify them to officially do make up and cut women’s hair at home or even open a beauty salon. But this is not enough,” she said.
One of Linjawi’s customers came to her after suffering burns to her face while undergoing a nettoyage at an unofficial beauty salon. “This is bad for us owners of professional beauty salons and for customers also,” she said.
There are no beauty training centers in the Kingdom. However, Linjawi says 7L employees receive training abroad and also from foreign experts who come into the Kingdom to train them.