Unprecedented Reforms in 5 Years Empower Saudi Women

Saudi women have become decision-makers. (Getty Images)
Saudi women have become decision-makers. (Getty Images)
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Unprecedented Reforms in 5 Years Empower Saudi Women

Saudi women have become decision-makers. (Getty Images)
Saudi women have become decision-makers. (Getty Images)

After decades of being left out of the public sector, Saudi women today are witnessing historic changes that are transforming them into partners in the massive modernization project that is shaping the Kingdom’s future.

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 has in just five years introduced changes that have empowered women, underscoring a commitment to bolster their participation in various private and public sectors.

These changes were consolidated in institutions, which were a product of the vision, as well as law amendments and government initiatives that were aimed at supporting Saudi women in various fields.

Ever since Saudi women were allowed to drive in 2017, reforms since then have come a long way in ensuring the rights of women and easing restrictions that had been imposed on them. Efforts have been exerted to ensure equal opportunities between genders, allowing women to contribute in different sectors, thereby transforming them into an integral part of the modernization process underway in the Kingdom’s politics, culture and economy.

Among the significant changes is allowing women to run in various councils and municipalities and the election of Dr. Hanan al-Ahmadi as the first female deputy head of the Shura Council

Saudi Arabia has also appointed two female ambassadors: Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, who has been serving as the Kingdom’s envoy to the United States since July 2019, and Amal Al Moallimi, who has been serving as the Kingdom’s envoy to Norway since October.

Among the radical changes was allowing women to join the security forces, military and national guard. The changes extended to the Justice Ministry, whereby in 2018, they were allowed to become notaries for the first time.

These changes have increased women’s participation in the workforce by 31.4 percent. The World Bank recognized and hailed these changes in a recent report. It described Saudi Arabia as the top reformer globally in 2019. Saudi Arabia implemented historic reforms to advance women’s economic participation. The measures introduced freedom of travel and movement for women over the age of 21.

The decrees removed restrictions on women’s ability to leave the house and equalized women’s right to choose a place of residency. They prohibited discrimination based on gender in employment, the dismissal of pregnant women and discrimination based on gender in accessing to credit. The decrees introduced pension equality by equalizing the retirement ages for men and women and mandating pension care credits for maternity leave.

These bold reforms fundamentally changed women’s legal rights in Saudi Arabia. 5.5 million Saudi women over 21 years of age are already benefiting from the reforms and will continue to reap the benefits for generations to come, said the World Bank.



Saudi Arabia Expands Digital Health System for Hajj Pilgrims

Muslims perform Tawaf in the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, June 3, 2025. (SPA)
Muslims perform Tawaf in the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, June 3, 2025. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Expands Digital Health System for Hajj Pilgrims

Muslims perform Tawaf in the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, June 3, 2025. (SPA)
Muslims perform Tawaf in the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, June 3, 2025. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s Health Ministry said it has stepped up efforts this year to expand digital health services as part of a broader strategy to harness advanced technology and ensure safe and efficient medical care for pilgrims during the Hajj.

The ministry said preparations included strengthening digital infrastructure and deploying smart solutions to improve timely access to healthcare, aiming to deliver a safe and healthy pilgrimage for all.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Assistant Deputy Minister for Planning at the Ministry of Health, Eng. Yazeed Alotaibi highlighted a range of advanced digital solutions the ministry has developed, including the implementation of the “Electronic Health Record” system across all medical facilities in the holy sites.

The system allows for seamless, real-time connectivity between healthcare centers, speeding up diagnosis and patient transfers while enhancing medical response readiness in coordination with the command and control center.

Alotaibi added that services on the “Sehhaty” app have been upgraded to offer around-the-clock virtual medical consultations, alongside the 937 unified call center.

He said virtual clinics have also been activated in partnership with the virtual health hospital, enabling patients to receive specialized care remotely without the need to travel, easing pressure on field facilities and improving pilgrims’ access to medical services at any time.

AI integration

On the use of emerging technologies, Alotaibi said the Health Ministry has “extensively integrated artificial intelligence tools into its digital systems.”

These tools are being used to analyze medical conversations and convert them into digital records, while also suggesting accurate diagnoses, boosting the speed and quality of clinical decision-making.

AI is also employed to interpret medical images and identify critical cases that require urgent intervention.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia’s Health Ministry has rolled out a series of cutting-edge technologies to strengthen medical services for pilgrims during this year’s Hajj, including the use of drones, artificial intelligence, and cloud infrastructure.

Alotaibi said the ministry is deploying drone technology to deliver medicines and medical supplies swiftly to high-traffic areas, calling it “a fast and efficient solution” to meet urgent healthcare demands.

Cloud infrastructure has also been activated in health data centers to boost system efficiency and accelerate data sharing among relevant authorities, he added.

Digital health passport

Among other innovations, Alotaibi said the ministry has launched a “Digital Health Passport” in collaboration with Malaysia, Oman, and Indonesia. The initiative allows early access to pilgrims’ health status, allowing personalized care and streamlining medical procedures when needed.

On Monday, Health Minister Fahad Al-Jalajel inaugurated two key initiatives to support medical supply delivery using helicopters and drones.

These systems are designed to cut delivery times for medicines in high-density zones across the holy sites from 90 to just 6 minutes, enhancing emergency response capabilities.

Fahad Al-Buthi, CEO of supply chain and operations at NUPCO, a Saudi healthcare logistics company, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the drone program was launched in coordination with national authorities.

He said pilot tests showed the drone system could slash delivery time from 90 minutes to just six, a move expected to significantly improve access to critical supplies during peak Hajj periods.