As GCC countries start to increase women’s participation in manufacturing, there is a growing concern whether this will be a sustainable economic diversification strategy.
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.
Trump’s trip to Saudi Arabia has the potential not only to reinforce the deep-rooted U.S.-Saudi alliance but also to expose the fault lines that could undermine future cooperation.
Learn MoreTrump’s tariff agenda may complicate Gulf governments’ capabilities to advance key policy initiatives and strategic economic partnerships, including Gulf investments in the United States.
Successful public-private partnerships could help Gulf Arab states improve infrastructure without further burdening state resources.
Proposed Russian investments may come in handy as Iran attempts to develop its gas infrastructure, but international sanctions and geopolitics pose major problems.
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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