However, these demands are far away from being realized due to several factors.

Even though authorities have taken some measures to replace salesmen at lingerie shops with women, the impact has been minimal. It is a similar situation with women at jewelers. Market sources told Al-Madinah daily that it is still a concept that needs further studies.

The Saudi gold market is considered the largest not only in the Gulf region, but in the entire Arab world. A huge rise in gold prices has resulted in dropping sales, particularly in the local market. Most customers are keeping away from markets in anticipation of a fall in the price of the precious yellow metal. This situation has dampened the hopes of many job seekers looking for opportunities in this vital sector.

Muhammad Salem Al-Minhali, a gold trader in Makkah, says that revenue from the sale of gold was not bad. Al-Minhali, who has been in the field for about eight years, says all his staff are Saudis.

Reacting to the demand to employ Saudi women, he said it was a new concept.

“This concept would not have any positive response from the customers, especially during the peak seasons of Ramadan and Haj. The majority of our customers during the season are men,” he said, adding that this job would be a tougher one for women.

However, Nasir Salem Al-Mohairy, another jewelry dealer, is of the view that it is good to replace salesmen with saleswomen at jewelers. “Most customers are women. It is quite natural that these customers like to buy ornaments from women salespeople,” he said.

Muhammad Abdullah Al-Mosabi, who has been working in the gold sale sector for about two decades, says that Makkah is an ideal spot for those buying gold, especially during the Umrah and Haj seasons.

“But now, a steep hike in prices has affected sales,” he said.

“We achieved 95 percent Saudization. During the Haj season, we employ one expatriate to work as an interpreter who can interact with foreign pilgrim customers,” he said.

Al-Mosabi commented that it was not an easy task employing women. “We have to carry out necessary studies and employ some of them on a trial basis to understand the pros and cons of the proposal before implementing it,” he added.

Muhammad Asiri, another jeweler, said that employing saleswomen was a good idea. “Most of our customers are women. However, the current high prices of gold have brought down our business by 50 percent. This, of course, would affect the salary of employees also,” he said.

According to Salem Al-Mosabi, another trader, society may not accept the idea of employing saleswomen.

Muna, a university graduate who is looking for work, says that she is ready to accept the job of a saleswoman provided that it is acceptable in society. “We are reluctant to take up these types of jobs because of the stigma. Some sections of society may not agree with the idea. That is disappointing for us,” she said.

On the other hand, Abeer rejects the idea of becoming a saleswoman. “After a lot of hard work and obtaining an academic certificate after years of studying, I do not have an ambition to become a jewelry saleswoman,” she said.

Fellow graduate Ummu Hodail said that she would be interested in working at a gold sales outlet.

“Unfortunately, there has been a low demand for gold due to the steep hike in prices. This dampens the hopes of many young women who want to be employed as saleswomen at jewelers in the future,” she said, adding that this move may face opposition from some sections of society in the beginning. “However, gradually this would be acceptable to society as a whole.”