160,000 Saudi women in private firms

About 160,000 Saudi women are currently employed in the private sector, according to statistics from the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI). There were not more than 70,000 Saudi women in this sector until recently.
The increase in the number of women workers is being attributed to reforms recently introduced by the Ministry of Labor and the Human Resources Development Fund.
The government is trying to ensure women find jobs that allow them to participate in the economic life of the nation and in accordance with local customs and traditions.
Many Saudi women have been seeking information about careers at the Ministry of Labor's booth at the Janadriyah festival in Riyadh.
But according to the Ministry of Labor's 2011 annual report released recently, women workers in the private sector earn on average SR 2,824 a month, while men get about SR 5,686.
“There is a minimum wage. The difference in wages is due to the different types of work. Ministry of Labor regulations mandate that males and females should get equal pay if they are in similar jobs,” said Hattab Al-Anazi, spokesman for the ministry.