This year’s forum has not given a fair chance to women speakers, they claimed.

“Women in Jeddah are known to participate in the forum and fill out the hall completely, I don’t know what happened this year,” said a business leader.

She said women’s active participation was vital to raise the forum’s global appeal.

“There are enough number of qualified women who can share their ideas in critical fields such as economy, education and health and we want to listen to them,” said Maha Alatta, a board member of the health promotion society and a consultant family physician.

Saudi businesswoman Madawi Hassoun alleged that some false beliefs had hampered women’s participation at the forum.

She said women might have lost interest in forum sessions because organizers had failed to include a fair amount of women speakers.

This is a natural reaction as women felt they had been marginalized, Hassoun said.

But Olfat Qabbaniaa, businesswoman and the deputy manager of the industrial committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, denied claims of marginalization.

Women are already playing a key role in society, she pointed out.

“What is important is that women from all sectors should participate this forum,” added Qabbania.

She said the forum aims to focus on the middle class, a core sector of the economy.

“We also are looking forward to boost women’s involvement in the industrial sector through this forum,” she added.

“Women have skills and money that could help in national development,” said Qabbania.