Saudi women to get their own city - Women's Agenda

Saudi women to get their own city

Here’s a novel way for getting more women in the workforce where gender segregation is a way of life: build a new city, specifically for women.

The Guardian is reporting that businesswomen in Saudi Arabia are behind plans to construct a new city just for women in an effort to increase women’s workforce participation rate, which sits around just 15%.

The city, to be constructed in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province city Hofuf, is reportedly aimed at allowing women to achieve greater financial independence but within the bounds of Sharia law.

To open next year, the new industrial city is expected to attract £84 million ($124 million) in investments and will create approximately 5000 jobs in the textiles, pharmaceuticals and food-processing industries.

Proposals for another four cities, with a focus on women, have been made coinciding with the kingdom’s plans to increase women’s participation in the development of the country.

Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women are not allowed to drive, and unrelated men and women cannot interact in public without the presence of at least one spouse.

An earlier version of this article suggested the city is being built for women only. While the development is intended for women, it will create some jobs for men too. 

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