Saudi Arabia appoints 10 women in leading positions
By : Marwa Mahmoud
Saudi Arabia government appointed ten women to leadership positions in presiding over the affairs of the Grand Mosque and Prophet’s Mosque in Mecca and Medina.
Appointing women to senior leadership positions in religious institutions is a rare step in the kingdom, which is witnessing a massive modernization drive led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Women were appointed in various administrative and technical departments, according to a statement issued by the General Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques.
The statement said that the decision comes from the keenness of the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques to keep pace with the Kingdom’s vision 2030, “and to empower Saudi women with high qualifications and great capabilities.”
According to media, the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques previously appointed 41 women to leadership positions in 2018.
The number of working women in Saudi Arabia reached 1.03 million in the third quarter of 2019, or 35 percent of the total workforce, compared to 816,000 in 2015, according to official data.
Reforms in the kingdom allowed women to drive and go to cinemas, parties and public places.
