Women empowerment in Saudi Arabia has been expedited over the last few years with trailblazing women being appointed to high posts in both the public and private sectors.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz issued a Royal Order appointing Hanan Al-Ahmadi as assistant speaker of the Shura Council, to become the first woman to hold this position in the Kingdom.
Al-Ahmadi was elevated to the third highest position of the Shura Council and is now considered the first Saudi Arabian woman to serve in a leadership position in the state body.
Commenting on her appointment, she said the decision showed the Saudi leadership’s keenness to boost women’s role in the decision-making process.
Saudi Arabia has worked to enable women to reach decision-making positions in both public and private sectors. Consequentially, women have been appointed to posts like deputy minister, ambassador and university director.
Women's participation in legal fields has also seen an increase.
Al-Ahmadi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from King Saud University, a PhD in Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master’s degree in Health Care Management from the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
Al-Ahmadi is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Riyadh Economic Forum, a member of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Management Association, Editorial Board of the Journal of Public Administration and the Scientific Council of the Institute of Public Administration and a Professor of Health Services Administration at the Institute of Public Administration in Saudi Arabia.
Al-Ahmadi was one of the first women appointed to the Shura Council in May 2014, in a historic decision.
During her tenure at the council, she served in several committees, such as the economic and energy committee, health and environmental affairs, and the Fifth Parliamentary Friendship Committee.
The journey ahead for Al-Ahmadi is not going to be easy given the responsibilities attached to her post. She will help in leading the 150-member Council which has 30 women members.
