This post is part of a series examining women’s labor force participation in the Gulf Arab states, including areas of growth and challenges facing women in the Gulf.
Saudi Arabia has recently announced decisions allowing women to apply for jobs in air traffic control, the traffic police, and the military, and to positions as investigators at the public prosecutor’s office. These decisions are made in line with Saudi Vision 2030, to increase women’s participation in the workforce from 22 to 30 percent.
For many conservative people in the Gulf Arab states, practicing medicine as a woman is still unacceptable.
Globally, computer science and information technology majors in universities are dominated by men. However, in the Middle East, 40 percent of university students specializing in computer science and IT are women.
Efforts to diversify the Saudi economy continued to bear fruit in 2023, although oil is still the dominant economic force.
Learn MoreExhibitions staged by four Gulf countries look to the past and present while seeking to redress contemporary misconceptions and advocate for change.
The crisis between Iran and Israel may be contained for now, but the breakdown in decision making that led to the end of Iran’s “strategic patience” carries risks going forward.
No matter who wins the White House in November, the United States may increasingly have to manage crosscutting divisions in the existing world order.
Through its careful examination of the forces shaping the evolution of Gulf societies and the new generation of emerging leaders, AGSIW facilitates a richer understanding of the role the countries in this key geostrategic region can be expected to play in the 21st century.
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