Women to open own businesses without the permission of a male guardian

The Saudi Ministry of Commerce made the announcement yesterday. The Saudi public prosecutor’s office has begun to hire women. After the passport department advertised 140 jobs for women, 107,000 applications were received.

Riyadh (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Saudi women will be able to open businesses without the permission of a male guardian, the Saudi Ministry of Commerce and Investment announced yesterday. The goal is to stimulate the private sector.

Over the past few months,  Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 32, has been implementing a number of reforms as part of his ‘Vision 2030’ programme.

One of the central objectives is to promote female employment, taking it from the current 22 per cent to more than 30 per cent by 2030.

On 12 February, the Saudi public prosecutor’s office announced plans to recruit women as investigators for the first time.

The country’s passport department recently said it received 107,000 applications for 140 vacant positions for women at airports and border crossings.

The reforms go beyond employment. In September, Saudi authorities lifted a ban on women drivers (which will come into effect next June), and allowed women in the capital’s football stadium for the country’s national day , which was followed by some football matches.

Despite such progress, women in Saudi Arabia still face many restrictions. They have to cover their hair and body in public, and cannot travel or receive medical treatment without the permission of a male guardian (usually a father, a husband or a son).

• saudi arabia
• women
• employment
• business
• male guardians
• women’s rights
• wahhabism
• islam