Increasing Women’s Employment Opportunities in Digitalizing Saudi Arabia’s Economy

Abstract

While the Saudi Arabian government is looking for options to diversify its economy through innovation and the use of digital technologies to drive economic growth, likely in response to the global drop in oil prices, the participation of women in digital technologies in religiously conservative societies like Saudi Arabia is a poorly researched topic. Based on a theoretical framework suggesting the applications and construction of technological knowledge and skills for improving the prospects of women’s employment in digital technologies, this study investigates the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) skills on employment opportunities in digital technologies for women in Saudi Arabia. The structuration theory adopted in this study explained how social structures, such as government institutions, academia, and businesses, play a key role in regulating the interaction of agents (both insiders—organizational employees and outsiders—potential job applicants) with technologies and, as a result, the acquisition of digital competencies, which can be used to find jobs, self-employ, or advance up the digital career ladder. The data gathering tool was semi-structured interviews, which matches well with the qualitative research approach utilized in this study. The study investigates the perspectives of individuals who are directly involved in the employment, knowledge, and training of Saudi Arabian women. Though participants from government groups believe that suitable law for equal education, training, and job opportunities is documented as part of Vision 2030, data does not provide insight into how equal opportunities rules are implemented in the labour market. The study’s findings suggest that the barriers to Saudi women’s engagement in digital technologies can be reduced by enforcing the equal opportunity norm within social institutions.