JEDDAH, 27 April 2006 — Women’s drive toward becoming more active participants in the national economy is getting stronger, according to Nashwa Taher, one of the two businesswomen elected to the board of directors of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry last year.
“(Women) high school and university graduates are increasing and exceeded the number of men graduates,” she said.
Taher made her comments during a lecture entitled “Change for Global Perspective” on Monday.
Citing statistics from the National Commercial Bank, Taher said Saudi women own 40 percent of the Kingdom’s real estate assets. They own 20 percent of stocks and a little more than 18 percent of current bank account. Saudi women have SR17 billion of the country’s non-invested savings.
Jeddah women own more than 3,000 commercial licenses in their own names, raking second in the country after Riyadh.
Beauty salons are the most common business for Saudi women, accounting for about 20 percent of all business activities for women. About 18 percent of women-owned businesses are retail and wholesale outlets, while just under 13 percent of women-owned enterprises are private schools and other institutes of learning. A notable absence is women in the industrial sector, said Taher.
