Saudi Arabia employs lakhs of women, with more opportunities ahead

RIYADH: Job opportunities are indeed flourishing in Saudi Arabia despite the strain on the economy caused by declining oil revenues. The private sector has seen significant growth, with over 100,000 new jobs created in 2023 alone.

Reportedly, the country's efforts to diversify its economy away from reliance solely on oil revenues have contributed to this surge in employment opportunities.

According to the National Labor Observatory, there was an 11.5 percent increase in employment last year compared to 2022, with women representing 37 percent of those newly employed. Industries such as manufacturing, transportation, and warehousing saw substantial growth, creating 719,300 new jobs. Additionally, there was a notable rise in the establishment of new firms in sectors like transportation and warehousing (over 94,500 new firms) and wholesale and retail trade (73,300 new firms).

As of last month, the private sector in Saudi Arabia employs a total of 11.1 million workers with 2.3 million being native Saudis and 8.8 million foreigners. Among female employees, 961,690 are Saudis while 348,892 are foreigners. There's also a reported increase in the number of newly employed Saudi nationals.