Another first for women in Saudi Arabia as the kingdom appoints 50 women as public prosecution investigators in the country’s history. Having to take a course before joining, the women appointed were celebrated at an event which was held in Riyadh at Saudi’s Public Prosecution headquarters in Riyadh. The happening was attended by the kingdom's Public Prosecutor Sheikh Saud Al-Muajab, Deputy Public Prosecutor Sheikh Shaalan Bin Rajeh Bin Shaalan, and other officials.
Sheikh Saud Al Muajab lauded the kingdom’s government organizations for being inclusive of women and giving them significant positions within a number of important industries, stating, "Women are being allowed to take up jobs in this key sector for the first time in the history of Saudi Arabia, thanks to the utmost keenness given to them by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman.” He also highlighted the fact that more women would be employed in such positions within the Public Prosecution over the course of the rest of this year.
The women hand-selected to join the sector already have legal qualifications in the study of Sharia and law, but will have to take up a further 1 year diploma in criminology which will "include academic studies and training in the field of work as well as visits to agencies engaged in collecting evidence such as forensic experts to know closely about various aspects of the cases."
Speaking to Arab News, Alanoud Bin Hamad, a 24-year-old Saudi graduate from the kingdom’s Princess Nourah University shared her joy at being selected for her new appointment, and stated, "I think every Saudi female can achieve her dream now. The doors are wide open for females in every field. I'm really lucky to work in the public prosecution to achieve justice," after praising the positive impact Vision 2030 has had for women’s rights and opportunities in Saudi Arabia.
Reham Al Salom is also one of the women who managed to obtain one of the sought after roles within the public prosecution service. She told Arab News about her journey, "I tried to apply and work for the public prosecution, but I faced a huge problem because this position wasn't available for women. Five years later, I got my chance. I'm honored to represent my country to the world, and glad to have this wonderful experience, which I'm sure is a big responsibility.”
Since Vision 2030 began putting its wheels in motion, many of Saudi Arabia’s domestic industries have opened their doors to the employment of Saudi women who are now taking on positions that were previously reserved for men only, including top spots within finance and banking, taxi driving and the aviation industry.
The Vision 2030 initiative was launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with core objectives to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy, calling for women to join the kingdom’s workforce and decrease the country’s reliance on oil. Following the influx of women taking up employment, Saudi’s female unemployment rate has decreased significantly and continues to do so.
