More jobs for Middle East women could boost growth

Significance

It launched the annual forum of ‘Top CEOs’, reflecting rapid changes in Riyadh’s policy over the past year. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aims to increase female workforce participation in the country to 30% from the current 22% as part of his Vision 2030 economic plan -- still a relatively modest target.

Impacts

• Women-friendly policies will benefit educated and urban middle-class women most, especially outside the GCC.
• Use of quotas to bring female nationals into the private sector workforce could dampen productivity and raise prices.
• Grassroots women’s organisations, particularly in North Africa, are more likely to bring lasting change than top-down Gulf policies.
• Normalised female employment could slowly lessen the control of conservative institutions.
• Women's education combined with unemployment in north Africa may increase autonomous female migration to Europe.