World Bank Group: Saudi Arabia Advances in ‘Women, Business, and Law’

Saudi women at work. Reuters file photo
Saudi women at work. Reuters file photo
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World Bank Group: Saudi Arabia Advances in ‘Women, Business, and Law’

Saudi women at work. Reuters file photo
Saudi women at work. Reuters file photo

Saudi Arabia continues to make notable progress for the second year in a row in women’s economic opportunities, according to a World Bank Group’s Report.

The report “Women, Business, and Law 2021” compares levels of discrimination between genders in the field of economic development and entrepreneurship in 190 countries.

It revealed that Saudi Arabia scored 80 points out of 100, up from the 70.6 achieved in 2020, to become among the leading countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

The Kingdom’s progress confirms the strength of legislative laws and regulation reforms on women implemented last year. It also achieved gender equality in all areas of employment to meet the needs of the labor market.

Saudi Arabia's notable performance included the top score in five of the eight main indicators measured by the report, namely mobility, pension, entrepreneurship, workplace, and pay while it maintained its score in the other three: marriage, parenthood, and assets.

These results place the Kingdom in the ranks of advanced economies known for women’s legal reforms.

Commerce Minister Majid al-Qasabi affirmed that this achievement is the result of the leadership's efforts, especially Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to implement the reforms and ensure swift results.

Qasabi, who also chairs the National Competitiveness Center, pointed out that the efforts made by state agencies have contributed to the implementation of legislative reforms aimed at enhancing the role of women in economic development and raising the Kingdom’s competitiveness regionally and globally.

He stressed that Vision 2030 contributed to supporting the implementation of the reforms, which stresses the importance of increasing women’s participation in the labor market from 22 to 30 percent.

The new reforms relate to enhancing women's role in economic development, most notably gender equality in obtaining financing services, establishing and practicing commercial work, equality in retirement age, equality in wages and job opportunities, preventing work termination of women during pregnancy, and ensuring continued payment of salaries during maternity leave.



GCC Secretary-General: 68 Million Tourists Visited Gulf Countries in 5 Years

Albudaiwi spoke at the 9th meeting of the GCC ministers of tourism in Kuwait. Photo: GCC
Albudaiwi spoke at the 9th meeting of the GCC ministers of tourism in Kuwait. Photo: GCC
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GCC Secretary-General: 68 Million Tourists Visited Gulf Countries in 5 Years

Albudaiwi spoke at the 9th meeting of the GCC ministers of tourism in Kuwait. Photo: GCC
Albudaiwi spoke at the 9th meeting of the GCC ministers of tourism in Kuwait. Photo: GCC

Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi has said that the number of tourists arriving in the Gulf countries between 2019 and 2023 reached 68.1 million, with tourism revenues amounting to $110.4 billion.

Albudaiwi said the approval of projects under the Gulf Tourism Strategy 2023–2030 aims to enhance the tourism position of the GCC countries regionally and internationally. This initiative aligns with the directives of the leaders of the GCC countries.

Albudaiwi was speaking at the 9th meeting of the GCC ministers of tourism held on Monday in Kuwait.

The meeting was chaired by Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs in Kuwait Abdul Rahman Badah Al Mutairi, President of the current session.

The Secretary-General expressed pride in the remarkable achievements of Gulf countries, which enhance their standing on the international stage and reaffirm the GCC’s commitment to a prosperous future for the region’s tourism sector.

Albudaiwi noted that international tourist arrivals in the GCC reached 68.1 million by 2023, a growth rate of 42.8% compared to 2019, achieving 52.9% of the GCC’s 2030 targets.