Appointments to speed up progress

The appointment of 30 women on the Shoura Council for the first time in the Kingdom’s history has been applauded by Saudis who said it would lead to adopting more important decisions to accelerate the progress and prosperity of Saudi society.
Justice Minister Muhammad Al-Eissa said the participation of women would enrich the discussions at the consultative council. “It is a supplementary addition to the Shoura with people having different experiences, expertise and backgrounds,” he said.
Al-Eissa said Muslim women have been giving their opinions on various issues from the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Ummah benefited from those opinions. He cited the consultation given to the Prophet by Um Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) during the Hudaibiya peace treaty.
“The participation of women in the Shoura would give them an opportunity to present their opinions and make proposals and demands on various matters. This paves the way for their voices being heard,” the minister said, adding that society has the right to benefit from their knowledge and expertise.
Muhammad Tayeb, director general of the Foreign Ministry’s office in the Makkah region, commended King Abdullah for taking this decision that would empower women and enhance the Kingdom’s international reputation. “This is the right decision taken by our visionary king who has introduced a number of reforms to improve the condition of Saudi women,” Tayeb told Arab News.
He said the decision reflects the Saudi society’s respect and care for women, adding it would have big impact on the society’s overall development in the years to come. “We hope women members would play a big role in enriching discussions at the Shoura to boost growth and prosperity,” he added. He said the decision would change foreign perception about Saudi society.
Hussein Fahd Aleyadi, a member of the Association for Protection of Consumers and general manager of a marketing company, was all praise for the king for taking this vital decision that would protect women’s rights. “Previously women had no say in this vital council that takes important decisions affecting society. Now women can say what they want and what they do not want,” he told Arab News.
Aleyadi highlighted the remarkable progress achieved by Saudi women. “Earlier they had a very limited role as primary schoolteachers and nurses in hospitals. Now we find them everywhere taking up different positions. We have also got a woman deputy education minister. The appointment of 30 women on the Shoura is another big leap. In the near future, they may take 50 percent of Shoura seats and take up different ministerial positions.”
He indicated that many women now work at chambers of commerce and industry in different parts of the country. He hoped all Shoura members would play an active role in boosting the Kingdom’s development by taking judicious decisions. “People around us are watching what Saudi Arabia is doing. We have to do our best to lead the country to greater progress and prosperity.”
Muhammad Badahdah, assistant secretary-general of World Assembly of Muslim Youth, called for elections to the Shoura in order for its members to represent the Saudi people. “Now the Shoura members are just consultants to the king. They give their opinion on matters that are passed to them by the king. They don’t have any connection with the public.”
Badahdah added: “I don’t see much difference in the appointment of women. It has brought some female consultants in addition to male consultants. What we need is giving greater powers to the Shoura to take up issues facing the society like parliaments in other countries. We should have elections. In the first phase we may elect 30 percent of members. At a later stage we can elect all members.”
Abdullah Al-Saihati, a prominent businessman and chairman of Saihati Group, congratulated the new women Shoura members and wished them luck. “We expect more from the new Shoura Council to boost the Kingdom’s educational, social, economic and industrial development,” he told Arab News. “I am sure that our women can contribute immensely to the Shoura and support the government. They have good potentials,” he said and hailed the king’s decision.
For Maha Akeel, managing editor of OIC Journal, it was great news that King Abdullah issued a decree that women should represent at least 20 percent of the Shoura. “This guarantees their appointment in every Shoura Council by at least 30 out of the 150 members,” she said and hoped more women would be appointed in the future. “I’m glad that the changes to the Shoura bylaws guarantee women’s participation in all subcommittees, which means their participation and involvement in discussing all issues,” Akeel told Arab News.
The 30 women appointed are highly qualified and experienced in various fields and definitely a valuable addition to the Shoura, Akeel said. “I’m confident they will contribute greatly to the discourse and issues,” she said, adding that she was looking forward to more changes in the Shoura bylaws to give it more power.