JEDDAH, 5 January 2003 — Saudi women control a huge part of the private business sector in Saudi Arabia, and actually own more than 1,500 companies Kingdomwide. Moreover, a recently issued report by the Tunis-based Arab Woman’s Center for Research and Training anticipates that the number of Saudi businesswomen will increase to the extent that in the near future they may even equal the number of businessmen.
Al-Madinah, a local Arabic language daily, also quotes sources at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry as saying that their total number of female members is 2,779.
The source added that 70,000 Saudi businesswomen have now been issued commercial licenses, which enables them to establish their own businesses.
These figures clearly show, according to Al-Madinah, that Riyadh is home to the most businesswomen in the Kingdom, whether they are acting independently or through a legal representative who is male. There are no reliable statistics on how much of the Kingdom’s money is in the hands of Saudi businesswomen, but some estimates have put the figure as high as 20 percent.
What is beyond doubt is that women in Saudi Arabia are becoming an important element in the financial market.
Because the prospects for female employment has improved over recent years, Saudi women are able financially to compete with men, and their additional income is becoming an important factor in family planning.
