328 Saudi women join labour market daily 

Dubai: Saudi Arabia has seen a remarkable surge in the number of women entering the workforce, with more than 480,000 joining between mid-2020 and mid-2024.

This represents an average of 328 women entering the labour market daily, coinciding with a sharp decline in the unemployment rate for Saudi women, which dropped from 31.4 per cent to 12.8 per cent during the same period.

The data was compiled by Okaz newspaper from official sources including the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), the General Organisation for Social Insurance (GOSI), and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD).

By the end of the first half of 2024, the total number of Saudi women registered with GOSI surpassed 1.09 million, up from 652,000 in mid-2020. This 78.25 per cent increase underscores robust growth across public and private sectors, driven by targeted policies and economic reforms.

Riyadh leads in female workforce participation, with over 528,000 women— 48.38 per cent of all Saudi women registered in social insurance. The Mecca region follows with 222,000 women (20.38 per cent), and the Eastern Province ranks third with 189,000 women (17.29 per cent). Smaller regions, such as Al Jouf, recorded the fastest growth, with a 145 per cent increase in female employment.

Younger women have also made significant gains. The number of employed women aged 15-19 nearly doubled, rising from 11,000 in 2020 to 20,000 in 2024. This suggests smoother integration of female graduates into the labor market, bypassing prolonged job searches.

A series of initiatives led by MHRSD has underpinned these advancements. Over the past four years, 14 Saudisation-related decisions were implemented, raising the minimum wage from SAR 3,000 to SAR 4,000 and localizing key industries, including tourism, education, and retail.

 Policies also prohibited collective layoffs of Saudi workers in medium and large companies except in cases of bankruptcy or closure.

Localization efforts extended to niche professions such as women’s decoration and sewing services and project management roles, ensuring broad opportunities for Saudi women.