Saudi Arabia employs women in all public sectors, helping in their empowerment

Abu Dhabi: Saudi women are not new to working in the public security areas. Rather, they began their activities in the various security military departments over 20 years ago, under the auspices of the Ministry of Interior.

However, women's work in various military sectors witnessed a remarkable development with the launch of the vision of the kingdom, which was keen on empowering women and raising their participation in the workforce to 30% by 2030.

The most important step in this regard is the Ministry of Defense's announcement to open the doors of acceptance and recruitment for women who wish to enter the military corps for jobs at the rank of “first soldier, corporal, sergeant agent, sergeant.”

Saudi women have worked for years in the Ministry of Defense in non-combat sectors, such as medical, cultural and social specialties, but the new jobs offered are directly related to the military sector, and the women who pass the entrance exams will be given military ranks.

The importance of Saudi women’s working in the military sectors led to their involvement in recent years with military ranks in the public security services, including drug control, prison departments, criminal investigation departments, customs, security guards in many markets and government and private hospitals, to work in the service of women, reducing crimes committed by women, in addition to the operating rooms.

Women are also employed at checkpoints, when women undergo self-inspection, checking the national identity and verifying the image.

The women became involved in the Traffic Department, after they were allowed to drive cars, as their presence in the sector became a necessity, especially with regard to arresting women involved in accidents or violations.

After successful applicants pass admission, they will undergo advanced professional foundation courses in order for women to be able to perform their work to the fullest.

A number of Saudi women have joined the women's section of the National Center for Unified Operations since its inception in 2017, starting with 25 employees and in less than three years the number of female civil servants reached 137 employees, holding educational qualifications as masters in multiple languages.

Military workers also joined the King Fahd Security College during the past days, including more than 230 military personnel, bringing the number of the female component to the new center 911 to about 400 employees, and this new center serves everyone and includes all security sectors and some service sectors, to provide better service in the areas of emergency and other humanitarian services, by receiving calls and tip-offs and relaying them to the competent authority.

The civil defense departments encouraged Saudi women to join and to develop a culture of prevention and disaster response. Women overcame obstacles encountered during their work in the civil defense by gaining a lot of experience.

The female component of the civil defense is subjected to training through basic individual course, and then they are enrolled in specialised military training, and their work is currently limited to inspection, safety, and inspection of women's sites and gatherings, whether in commercial or other institutions.

Saudi women play an active role in the police, so female civil servants take up all reports received at the police station. As for newly-graduated soldiers, they work to monitor girls’ runaway incidents.

The female military component is well prepared through various specialised training courses, to prepare them well in the future.

The General Directorate of Passports has established several standards and conditions for female applicants to fill military positions, and has cooperated with the relevant ministries in empowering female civil servants in the passport sector.

It finally received female applicants at the rank of soldier to work in the General Directorate of Passports, and began acceptance and registration according to certain criteria.

The Directorate established a specialised center for post-admission, and last year accepted more than 667 female employees at the rank of soldier to work in the passport outlets.

Women are enrolled in training courses on passport systems, ports and passenger handling systems, whether at arrival or departure lounges.

The first women's training institute for public security was opened last year.

The number of female graduates reached 178 female soldiers.

The institute trained the first female class in the Kingdom for basic training for a period of four months, which included unified curricula prepared by the Ministry of Interior to teach it to all sectors and categories of the Ministry of the Interior, in addition to training in physical fitness, control, and infantry.

Saudi women have proven that they are able not only in the field of education and other medical and administrative fields, but also in carrying out security work efficiently and professionally.