Dubai: For the first time in Saudi Arabia, females are being trained to become fisherwomen, breaking the barriers of male-dominated profession, local media reported. As part of the programme, a first batch of 60 women are being trained, media quoted officials as saying.
Access to the fishing industry was restricted in the conservative Kingdom, but off late Saudi women are now taking up new jobs as part of reforms in force since 2019, enabling women to work in previously male-dominated professions.
The 60 women will be trained to fish safely and make money from their catch. They will also be trained on how to sell and market their products.
The training is provided by the National Fisheries Development Programme of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. Mousa Al Kanani, deputy CEO of the programme, said the initiative aims to train Saudi young men and women to be able to work in the fishing industry.
The programme was launched to achieve sustainable development and increase the contribution of the fisheries and aquaculture sector to the Kingdom’s GDP in line with the Vision 2030 to diversify the Saudi economy.
