JEDDAH, 18 May 2006 — A Saudi princess said reforms would continue in the context of Islamic culture and that the Saudi government had been gently pushing an expanded women’s role for decades.
Princess Lolwah Al Faisal made the comments before the World Economic Forum on the Middle East being held May 20-22 at Sharm El-Sheikh. The princess, who is co-chair of the forum, is vice-chair of the board of trustees and general supervisor of Jeddah’s Effat College.
“The Promise of a New Generation” is the theme of the forum, which includes more than 1,200 government, business and civic leaders from 46 countries with the hope of paving the way for a prosperous, peaceful future in the Middle East. Participants will examine the role of business as an engine of job creation and the need for leaders to work together for peace and economic stability.
“The forum is actually a method to form alliances between key decision-makers, government officials, business leaders, activists, scholars, economists, researchers and thinkers to stimulate new ideas, joint activity and regional efforts in response to a shared concern,” the princess said, noting that reforms can take place with respect for Shariah law.
“It is important to understand the history and culture of Saudi Arabia before you question or blame everything on Shariah law,” the princess said. “Saudi Arabia has long existed as a religious nation. Islam is embedded in all aspects of life and among the people. It is woven throughout our society. Islam is a social religion that demands knowledge and progress for all members of the society. It is the reason for women’s progress and achievements in Saudi Arabia.”
Princess Lolwah pointed out that the Saudi government has been in a unique position to encourage and support women since its first development plan in the early 1970s using Shariah as a base to increase women’s participation in the economy.
“Fewer than 50 years ago, there was no women’s education; now the percentage of girls attending school is commensurate with the percentage of boys who attend school. The adult illiteracy rate for women dropped from 67 percent to 36 percent between 1970 and 1998. Sixty percent of university students are women. Women own more than 22,000 businesses; they hold 34 percent of the bank deposits in the Kingdom and recently became members of the board of the chambers of commerce.”
The princess expressed her viewpoint that although a debate continues about the way forward, the fundamental principles will remain sacred to all Muslim people for current and future progress.
She said that educational reform was a prerequisite for sustainable development. “Human capital is a key component of economic reform in the Middle East, and its future development is essential to enhance the region’s competitiveness and integration with the world,” Princess Lolwah said. “In order to develop human resources, different approaches are being taken to reform education in the Middle East.”
She said that changing needs and technologies were prompting massive changes in the approach to both university and vocational education.
“Other governments reoriented their vocational and technical training institutions from information-based training to demand-driven, competency-based and employability skills to increase worker productivity, technological adaptation and innovation. Expanding and furthering the knowledge acquisition with IT infrastructure is also another approach to foster research and development and employability in the regional and local job market.”
