Following the last year of landmark decrees aimed at supporting Saudi Arabian women’s increased participation in the Kingdom’s economic development, there has been a significant surge in the number of women working in various industries across the country. Furthermore, the Saudi government has been working diligently on creating more job opportunities for women, with one of its recent efforts being in the field of environmental protection. This week, the Kingdom’s General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection announced that it will hire more women to join its current 130 women staff.
According to Saudi Gazette, 100 young women and men have already been sent abroad by the authority to receive training in the specializations of meteorology and environment. In addition, as the authority is intensifying inspections as a method of ensuring top environmental protection, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin AbdulAziz Al-Saud has approved a plan to hire 200 female and male inspectors, with additional plans to hire even more people following a period of specialized training abroad.
The authority is also focusing on social responsibility initiatives and environmental awareness programs – including workshops and exhibitions – through strategic partnerships with the Kingdom’s Ministry of Education, schools, and universities. According to the news site, the authority had already signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with a number of universities across Saudi Arabia, and it has also organized, in cooperation with the ministry, competitions aimed at enhancing environmental awareness at schools.
Last year, following the rescinding of the ban on female motorists in the Saudi Arabia, women have been having much greater control of their mobility and have been much more present in formerly male-dominated industries, with the support of the government through specially-designed programs and initiatives. For instance, Ithe Saudi Ministry of Justice announced plans earlier this year to hire hundreds of women in the first stage of its female employment program following a decision by Minister Walid Al-Samaani to find vacancies for Saudi women in key sectors.
