On March 8, 2025, the world marks the International Women’s Day. It is a global occasion to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women across the globe.
In Saudi Arabia, the International Women’s Day is a celebration of a long journey towards empowerment under Vision 2030, granting women their rights and increasing their economic and social participation.
International Women’s Day
The first International Women’s Day was held in 1911. It has become a global holiday following its promotion by the United Nations in 1977. Each year, millions of people worldwide celebrate the achievements of women across all aspects of life, while advocating for gender equality.
It aims to recognize women’s contributions in various fields, address gender inequality issues, mobilize action for a more equitable and inclusive world for women, and foster solidarity among people in support of women’s rights worldwide.
Under the theme, “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment,” the International Women’s Day 2025 calls for action that can unlock equal rights, power and opportunities for all, with a focus on empowering young women and adolescent girls to drive change.
Celebrating Saudi Women
Saudi Arabia also celebrates the International Women’s Day by showcasing the achievements of Saudi women, highlighting their active participation in nation-building and social development, and their vital role in realizing Saudi Vision 2030 objectives.
Saudi women have succeeded in all aspects of life, achieving remarkable milestones in scientific and practical fields, in line with cultural norms and modern advancements. This has significantly contributed to driving national development and nation-building.
Under Vision 2030, the Kingdom has embarked on key reforms to increase women’s participation in the labor market, resulting in several decisions, legislations, and regulations that enhanced women’s status in the Saudi society and made them active partners in all fields.
Women’s Role in Sustainable Development
On the occasion of the International Women’s Day 2025, the Chairman of the National Society for Human Rights in Saudi Arabia, Khalid bin Abdulrahman Al-Fakhri, praised the Kingdom’s efforts to empower women.
Al-Fakhri highlighted Saudi Arabia’s efforts to ensure women‘s full rights through legislative and regulatory reforms, which have boosted their economic and social participation, reported the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Moreover, he noted that women empowerment promotes social and economic stability and accelerates progress towards realizing the objectives of Vision 2030, which prioritizes raising women’s participation in the labor market and increasing their leadership and developmental roles.
Saudi Women in Labor Market
Under the revolutionary Vision 2030, Saudi women participation in the labor market has seen a significant surge due to the leadership training and guidance initiative for women cadres. Moreover, 1,707 Saudi women have assumed key positions, surpassing Vision 2030 target of 1,000 women.
From 2017 to 2023, the share of women in the labor market jumped from 21.2% to 34%. Furthermore, the rate of women economic participation more than doubled, climbing from 17% to 35.5%. During the same period, the percentage of women in middle and senior administrative positions increased from 28.6% to 43.8%.
The initial goal of Vision 2030 was to increase women’s share in the workforce from 22% to 30%. However, after exceeding this target, the Kingdom has set an ambitious goal of raising female participation in the workforce to 40% by 2030.
Saudi Business Leaders
This progress has been evident in the Forbes Middle East 100 Most Powerful Businesswomen 2025 list, where 8 Saudi women emerged among the region’s top business leaders.
They included the Chairperson of the Saudi Tadawul Group, Sarah Al-Suhaimi; the CEO of the Al-Inma Medical Services Company, Fouziyah Al-Jarallah; the CEO of Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG), Jomana R. Alrashid; and the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Riyad Bank, Enji Ahmed Al Ghazzawi.
The list also included the COO of Saudi Awwal Bank (SAB), Ghada Al Jarbou; the Founder of the regional headquarters of 500 Global MENA in Saudi Arabia, Amal Dokhan; the CEO of the Gulf International Bank (GIB) in Bahrain, Sara Abdulhadi; and the General Manager for Fitch Ratings in Saudi Arabia, Nejoud Al Mulaik.
Women in Leadership Positions
Additionally, Saudi women now assume key positions in the diplomatic service, such as ambassadors, leaders in international organizations, negotiators, and diplomats representing the country in foreign missions.
In the light of this, Forbes Middle East celebrated 4 Saudi women among the Top 20 Arab Women in Government 2025 list. These women have made the most profound impact in leading positions across government institutions, with the exclusion of ministerial and parliamentary posts.
The Saudi Ambassador to the US, Princess Rema Bandar Al Saud, secured the 2nd spot on the list. Other Saudi women on the Forbes list included the Chairwoman of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP), Shihana Alazzaz; the Ambassador and Head of Mission of Saudi Arabia to the European Union (EU), Haifa Al Jadea; and the Regional Director for the Middle East at the UN Tourism, Basmah Al-Mayman.
Women’s participation in Sports
Saudi women have shown an unparalleled excellence in all genres of sports. Women’s football in Saudi Arabia has undergone a “remarkable transformation” since 2018.
According to a report by NEOM and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), more than 70,000 girls now participate at the grassroots level, with over 1,500 registered players nationwide. Moreover, the number of professional female players surged by 195%.
Furthermore, the Saudi Taekwondo athlete, Donia Abu Taleb, has achieved remarkable milestones in her sports career. In March 2025, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) awarded Abu Taleb the 2024 Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Award for Asia, for the first time in Saudi sports history, according to SPA.
Donia Abu Taleb is currently ranked 1st globally in the World Taekwondo Federation’s general ranking for the under-53 kg weight category. She gave a historic performance at the Paris Olympic Games 2024, securing her spot in the quarterfinals of the Women’s taekwondo -49kg category after beating the Israeli Abishag Semberg 2-1 in the round of 16.
