Speaking with Zawya, Senior Resident Scholar Karen E. Young commented on Saudi women in the workforce:

“Women are more likely to have higher education degrees – more than two times the number of unemployed men.”

She continued, “Saudi women also face a wage gap, especially in the private sector, where average salaries for men are close to 8,000 Saudi riyals a month, and only 5,000 Saudi riyals for women.”

She also noted that “women are better educated, less employed, and underpaid. The problem is entrenched inequality in pay and access (to jobs), as much as opportunity. Women are certainly interested in working, as the data on job seekers suggests.”

She also commented on the part nationalization of the Saudi Binladin Group for The Times.