Over the past few months, we have seen Saudi Arabia take big steps to bring forth a change and develop its economy. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 outlines the government’s strategy for a thriving economy, “pledging to build a culture that rewards determination, provides opportunities for all and helps everyone acquire the necessary skills to achieve their personal goals”. The government aims to enable KSA to become a global investment powerhouse and a hub connecting Asia, Europe and Africa.
An integral part of the strategy is to increase women’s participation in the workforce from 22% to 30%. In support with Saudi’s vision, LinkedIn has launched a #Hearitfromme campaign encouraging women in Saudi to showcase their skills and build their brand online in order to bridge the gap between employers and Saudi women.
As per LinkedIn research, “over half (52%) of Saudi women believe that the biggest myth hindering their career is that they don’t have the right skills for the job opportunities available.” Although, when we look at LinkedIn insights, we see 63% of Saudi women have completed a Bachelor’s degree, which is higher in comparison to developing countries like the US which shows 57%, and over 17% hold a Master’s degree in Saudi. This displays the efforts taken by Saudi women to equip themselves with the right knowledge and skill sets.
37% of Saudi women believe employers still need to do more to hire women in key roles, and more than a third (38%) find that the challenge about getting a job in Saudi is finding the right opportunity to match their expectations. On the other hand, over a third (31%) of Saudi recruiters believe the lack of availability of female talent is the most difficult part of women employment.
LinkedIn is one of the best platforms for Saudi women to be reachable to potential recruiters. At Quest, we have a wide variety of Retail roles open to KSA national women. If you are looking for career advice and job opportunities, please get in touch with your updated CV on rubee@questsearch.ae.
