In February, Saudi Arabia’s Public Prosecution Office announced that it would begin the recruitment of women as investigators for the first time in the country’s history this year, noting that vacancies for women at the level of Lieutenant Investigator already existed. Now, the body has confirmed in a statement that it will soon begin the process of integrating women into the organization.
According to the Kingdom’s Attorney General Sheikh Saud Al Mojeb, the office is presently “carrying out the legal procedures so that the female members of the Public Prosecution Office are at the level that we hope and aspire for, in the service of this institution […] God willing, you will hear very soon about the presence of female members of the Public Prosecution Office, undertaking their duties to the fullest, after the issuance of the orders from the leadership.”
Applicants to the position of investigator must be Saudi citizens, be of good standing and hold a degree in Sharia or information technology from one of the Kingdom’s colleges or an equivalent.
Another first was achieved earlier this month in Saudi Arabia as women became notaries for the first time in the history of the Kingdom. The Ministry of Justice granted 12 women notarization licenses with all the powers granted to male notaries, meaning women can now issue and cancel powers of attorney, as well as certify documents during transfer of property rights or establishing companies.
A wave of reforms aimed at empowering women have taken over the Kingdom ever since the ascension of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to his role. Notable among these reforms was a royal decree issued that lifted the ban on female motorists in the country, allowing women to drive themselves for the first time in decades. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, an ambitious plan that aims to diversify the country’s economy, also aims to significantly increase the percentage of women in the workforce in the next 12 years.
