Saudi women in the workplace

At Glowork, a work employment agency where Saudi women help other women find jobs, recruiters with the agency work the phones trying to find jobs for other women. When one is hired, they ring a bell.

Women walk into a store at Kingdom Center shopping mall in Riyadh. In the past women were not allowed to work as salespeople, even at stores catering to women, but that is changing.

At Victoria’s Secret in the Kingdom Center shopping mall in Riyadh, women are now employed to serve female clients. In 2011, King Abdullah issued a decree requiring the enforcement of the 2006 law requiring that stores catering exclusively to women hire female attendants.

Rizan Ahmed is paying her way through college by working at a makeup counter in one of Riyadh’s shopping malls. “I think if I want to do something I love, I don’t have to care about what other people think,” she says.

Shatha Al Ammar, 20, left, and Maha Amman take their children to the playground in Riyadh. Shatha is studying to be an English teacher. Saudi Arabia women are entering the workforce in higher numbers, but they still face many challenges. The percentage of women graduating from universities is higher than for men.

Aljoharah Al Musaireae, age 12, and her father, Hamad Al Musaireae, tour the King Fiyad exhibit in Riyadh.

A woman waits for an Uber taxi at Kingdom Center shopping mall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Since women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, they must often hire cars, which can be expensive. This is sometimes a reason for not being able to go to school or to work.

The face of a woman is missing in this roadside billboard. Many women in Saudi Arabia still cover their faces completely, and all are required to wear an abaya.

Women worship in a separate part of mosques, away from the men. Although the rights of women are changing in Saudia Arabia, many challenges remain. Some women are happy with the pace of change, and others are frustrated.