Saudi employers could easily employ thousands more Saudi females

They calculate that raising female workforce participation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to around 40% (still lower than most G20 economies) could increase GDP by c$17bn pa whilst it could add $58bn in revenues to Saudi companies as well as significant increases in productivity, engagement and innovation. The wage contribution of females is also becoming an increasingly important component of family income (as elsewhere in the world).

OSC report that around 385,000 well educated Saudi female are available in the market, but not currently utilized, whilst the research suggests the private sector has the capacity to employ at least 7m women. Just one of the recommendations from the research - a company employing women on flexible terms, working from local centers or from home, and providing Contact Centre and IT support services - could address a current potential market of ~160,000 client companies capable of providing outsource work for the equivalent of ~4.5m full time female.

Allowing well educated Saudi females to achieve their full potential is a laudable aim, of benefit to themselves and wider society but, as the research shows, this has to be achieved without threatening family life and national, cultural or religious identity. The research found that even amongst well-educated Saudi females, 73% would rather work in all-female environments and most would rather work part-time, near to home, so they can spend time with families. OSC recommendations allow the preferences of highly valuable Saudi females to be met whilst still making a major contribution to the productivity and success of employers - large and small.

Of course, the KSA government, and the Ministry of Labor in particular, is well aware of these potentials and has launched many initiatives which are having significant impact. The greatest impact, however, will come from employers themselves, particularly in the private sector, and OSC's research aims to help them to maximise their employment of Saudi females. The business benefits for employers of employing Saudi females are significant, including access to a large female market - Saudi females currently control over $30bn in Saudi bank accounts and own over 12% of all private businesses

Oxford Strategic Consulting believes that any Saudi-based company can gain the significant benefits of employing more Saudi females with the help of their detailed Research Report, a comprehensive Employer Toolkit (developed with SABB) and all the help and support any employer could need - available at www.employingwomen.com.