Arab women kept out of business

FEMALE REPRESENTATION: Arab women own just 14% of business establishments in the region, Sheikha Hessa said. (Getty Images)

Middle Eastern women own just 14% of business establishments in the region, despite a recent boost in female commercial participation, an Arab business leader said.

Speaking at a Women's Economic Forumin in Dammam, Sheikha Hessa bint Sa'ad Al Abdullah Al Sabah, chairman of the Arab Council of Businesswomen, compared the Arab figures to the US and Europe, where women owned up to 30% of all businesses.

Although figures were low, there has been an increase in the number of Saudi women securing commercial registration, UAE daily Gulf News reported on Monday.

“The number of commercial registrations in the name of Saudi women reached about 43,000, which represents 20% of commercial registrations issued in the kingdom,” Sheikha Hessa said, quoted the newspaper.

Sheikha Hessa compared the Saudi situation to the UAE where there are over 9,000 businesswomen, with women accounting for 18% of the Emirates’ private sector.

Hind Al Zahid, director of the businesswomen's centre of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that Saudi women make up only 13.5% of the 7.7 million Saudi workforce despite holding 35% of the kingdom’s bank accounts.

Only 565,000 of the kingdom's 8.4 million female population is currently employed, Al Zahid said.

The Women’s Economic Forum follows a National Dialogue Forum in Buraidah last week, during which a member of Saudi's Shura Council told delegates a woman’s duty is to be at home, bringing up children.

RELATED: Women told to stay at home

“We have to understand that the basic duty of women is at home and bringing up children,” said Sheikh Abdul Mohsen Al-Obaikan.

Sheikh Abdul said that although women should stay at home it was not against Islamic law, which the conservative Muslim kingdom follows strictly.

Sheikh Abdul was speaking at the two-day during which delegates called for the creation of more employment opportunities for Saudi women.

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READERS' COMMENTS

Women being kept out of business
Posted by UmmSalam, Dubai, UAE on Monday 28 April 2008 at 21:32 UAE time

While much of what is said in this article may or may not be true, even assuming it all to be true, it must still be ackowledged that women in the Gulf have made tremendous strides in the few short years they've been allowed to participate in business, the work place and government in the Gulf.

Their acceptance and success in these sectors have come much faster and to a much greater degree than almost anywhere else in the world once participation has been permitted. Bravo!! And we're waiting for even more...

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