This week, Saudi Arabia announced another first for women in the Kingdom: the launch of an all-female media and public relations company, the first of its kind in the country’s history set up to highlight the role of women in serving the Two Holy Mosques. The announcement was made by the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque.
Dr. Salem Arija, who is the director general of public relations and media department at the General Presidency for the Affairs, explained that the initiative stems out of the organization’s deep belief in its pivotal role in serving pilgrims. He also emphasized that the pioneering step being taken by setting up this body aims to empower women in various media fields.
“It is a vital role that will highlight the leading role of women in serving pilgrims and achieve the objectives of providing the best services in the field of media and public relations,” he explained. “Some of the duties assigned to this specialized department include receiving media delegations from abroad, communicating with women’s media outlets, (they will need to) provide proper media and journalistic content in several languages.”
This year has seen an increase of Saudi Arabian women involved in matters related to the Two Holy Mosques, particularly during the Hajj pilgrimage. As part of this year’s preparations, women were trained to become qualified specialists responsible for electrical and plumbing maintenance in the various Hajj camps for women, with the ultimate aim of helping pilgrims perform their rituals with ease and comfort. In addition, around 120 female guides were tasked with the duty of taking care of visitors during their pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
