Female Participation in Saudi Workforce Rises to 36%

Women’s participation in the Saudi workforce increased after overcoming difficulties of commuting to the workplace. (Photo: Reuters)
Women’s participation in the Saudi workforce increased after overcoming difficulties of commuting to the workplace. (Photo: Reuters)
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Female Participation in Saudi Workforce Rises to 36%

Women’s participation in the Saudi workforce increased after overcoming difficulties of commuting to the workplace. (Photo: Reuters)
Women’s participation in the Saudi workforce increased after overcoming difficulties of commuting to the workplace. (Photo: Reuters)

A recent study has revealed an increase in women’s participation in the workforce by 36 percent over the past year.

The study sought to measure the impact of the Female Transportation Program (Wusool), which was launched in 2017 by the Saudi Fund for Human Resources Development (Hadaf) and Uber Company, to empower women in the private sector, increase the percentage of their participation in the labor market and enhance their job stability.

The results of study, which were revealed on Wednesday, proved the success of the program in empowering Saudi working women in the private sector over the past four years, after successfully overcoming challenges and difficulties of commuting to and from workplaces, by providing transportation trips at reasonable prices through the Uber platform and other participating transportation companies.

Wusool is one of Uber’s largest government partnerships in the world. According to the study, the program has contributed to an increase in the percentage of women’s participation in the workforce in Saudi Arabia between 2018 and 2021, from 22 to 36 percent.

The study, which was prepared by Roland Berger Global Consulting, showed that 80 percent of women, who previously relied on public transportation, admitted that the program enabled them to find more and better job opportunities.

Moreover, 21 percent of the female respondents said that the program contributed to enhancing their sense of job security, while 49 percent of the participants considered that the main benefit of Wusool was to help them save money and secure financial independence.

The study pointed out that the number of women who benefited from the program increased from 300 to about 13,000 in the first year of its launch and operation, while by late 2021, more than 120,000 women had used the program to make more than 20 million trips to and from the workplace, mostly via the Uber application.

Mohammad Qazzaz, General Manager of Uber in Saudi Arabia, said that the impact of the program was tangible, noting that it has exceeded the desired goals in increasing women’s participation in the workforce.

“We are proud that the Uber platform played a major role in achieving this... We are launching a number of initiatives aimed at increasing economic opportunities for women,” he stated.

For his part, Turki Al-Jawini, Director General of the Human Resources Development Fund, said that the program succeeded in finding solutions to the issue of mobility, which is a major challenge for employment continuity.

The various initiatives of the Human Resources Development Fund have helped boost the percentage of women’s participation in economic development to more than 30%, he underlined.



Gold Eases from Record Peak on Profit-taking; Trump's Tariffs in Focus

Gold bars at a gold shop in Bangkok, Thailand, 01 April 2025. EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT
Gold bars at a gold shop in Bangkok, Thailand, 01 April 2025. EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT
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Gold Eases from Record Peak on Profit-taking; Trump's Tariffs in Focus

Gold bars at a gold shop in Bangkok, Thailand, 01 April 2025. EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT
Gold bars at a gold shop in Bangkok, Thailand, 01 April 2025. EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT

Gold dipped on Thursday as traders locked in profits after prices hit a record high, following a rush to safe-haven assets triggered by US President Donald Trump's aggressive import tariffs, which escalated the already intense global trade war.

Spot gold was down 0.4% at $3,122.1, as of 0710 GMT. Earlier in the session, bullion hit an all-time high of $3,167.57.

US gold futures fell 0.7% to $3,145.00.

Trump unveiled on Wednesday a 10% baseline tariff on all imports to the US, and higher duties on dozens of countries, including some of its biggest trading partners, deepening a trade war that has rattled global markets, Reuters said.

The reciprocal tariffs do not apply to certain goods, including gold, energy and "certain minerals that are not available in the US," according to a White House fact sheet.

One of the factors supporting gold was "the slowdown that tariffs are likely to cause the US economy, raising the prospects of future rate cuts," Capital.com's financial market analyst Kyle Rodda said.

The Trump administration confirmed that the 25% global car and truck tariffs will take effect on April 3, as planned, and duties on automotive parts imports will be launched on May 3.

Gold is in "a pure momentum trade, where bulls who were left for dust are agonizing on the side line, eager for even the smallest of dips, and until we see a volatile shakeout big enough to stun bulls and bears, the momentum trade could continue higher," said Matt Simpson, a senior analyst at City Index.

Gold, a hedge against political and financial instabilities, has surged more than 19% year-to-date, mainly driven by tariff jitters, rate- cut possibilities, geopolitical conflicts, and central bank buying.

"There's also some front running going on amongst traders who anticipate (Trump's) policies will drive central banks to park their reserves in gold rather than US dollar-denominated assets," Rodda said.

Market awaits US non-farm payrolls report due on Friday for clues into the Federal Reserve's policy path.

Spot silver slipped 2.8% to $33.07 an ounce, platinum fell 1.5% to $968.37, and palladium lost 1.4% to $956.50.