Lift on Driving Ban for Saudi Women Brings New Job Opportunities

Numerous new job opportunities have opened up for women in Saudi Arabia after the ban on women driving became obsolete on Sunday, June 24th, 2018 after a royal decree was issued by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2017.

Women will contribute even more to Saudi Arabia’s economy as job opportunities are appearing that previously wasn’t available to them. The automotive industry is one example of these new industries. Popular ride-hailing company, Careem, has already employed female “captainahs” who started working on Sunday.

Car showrooms and car rental firms have also started employing women in their showrooms and offices. Allowing women to drive is a huge benefit for the Saudi economy and will help lower the number of unemployment among Saudi women.

SEE ALSO: History is Made as Women Start Driving in Saudi Arabia

Some car rental companies are already planning to open new branches at universities, government departments and institutions. In preparation for this, car rental offices in Jeddah have already started training programs to enable male and female Saudis to work in this new field.

According to Hattan Madani, an employee at Budget in Jeddah told Arab News: “Training does not differentiate between male or female. They are both eligible to take the courses, which include video and scenarios showcasing all the steps and ways to deal with the job.”

Doroob, an e-training program, is an example of this. The programmed can be accessed from anywhere, at any time and offers an accredited certificate to users upon completion. The integrated program is sponsored by the Human Resources Development Fund Certificate and holders of the certificate will receive preference when applying for a job.

Budget CEO, Abdulillah Zahid, is another person who immediately saw the opportunities and possibilities with women being able to drive. He told Arab News on Sunday: “Today almost half the population consists of women. Let’s say 5 percent starts driving. Some of them will buy and some will rent cars. In the end, the outcome will be positive, and this will be better reflected in 2019.”

SEE ALSO: First Female Accident Inspectors Begin Work in Saudi Arabia

Mr. Zahid further told Arab News that they already started injecting their car sales showrooms and various parts of their operations with women across the Kingdom. He believes that this will especially help when women enter showrooms to buy or rent cars as well as increase their “At your doorstep” service.

Women looking to start working at a car rental company can expect approximately SR 2,440 as a starting salary.