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Saudi Arabia Tops Middle East in Women’s Empowerment, Leads Globally in Supportive Frameworks

Prime Highlights

  • Saudi Arabia ranks first in the Middle East for women’s empowerment and shows the strongest global progress in supportive frameworks.
  • Vision 2030 reforms have expanded women’s roles in economic, social, and cultural life, boosting participation and leadership.

Key Facts

  • Female labor force participation rose from 17% to 35.3%, surpassing the original Vision 2030 target, while unemployment fell to 10.5%.
  • Programs like “Wusool,” “Qurrah,” and the Parallel Training Initiative have trained 122,000+ women and issued 280,000+ certificates.

Background

Saudi Arabia has ranked first in the Middle East for women’s empowerment and recorded the strongest global progress in supportive frameworks, according to the World Bank Women, Business and the Law 2026 report.

The Kingdom achieved the largest worldwide increase in the “supportive frameworks” category, which measures policies, action plans and programs that help enforce laws supporting women. Saudi Arabia also improved its standing in the legal frameworks pillar and ranked first among Gulf Cooperation Council countries across all indicators.

Women’s empowerment remains a core focus under Vision 2030, the country’s long-term reform plan. The government has introduced a series of legal and regulatory changes in recent years to expand women’s roles in economic, social and cultural life.

Labor market data reflects this shift. Female labor force participation rose from 17% to 35.3%, surpassing the original Vision 2030 target of 30% ahead of schedule. In 2023, authorities raised the target to 40% by 2030. Participation crossed 36% in 2025, maintaining steady growth.

At the same time, female unemployment dropped to record lows. The overall rate reached 10.5%, while it stood at 12.1% during the first half of 2025.

Government-backed programs have supported these gains. The “Wusool” initiative provides transportation support for working women, while “Qurrah” offers childcare assistance. The Parallel Training Initiative has helped more than 122,000 female job seekers through specialized training programs delivered in partnership with over 70 providers. More than 280,000 certificates have been issued so far.

More women are taking leadership and technology roles, boosting their impact on national development goals under Vision 2030.