In order to develop the Saudi market, the drive to enhance the business culture should be something planted inside every child in the Kingdom, said Dr. Aisha Natto, CEO of the Eye-to-Eye optical company and a member of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) board.
Contrary to the belief that Arab women throughout the Middle East do not have access to or interest in the Internet outside of work, the vast majority of Arab women access the Web from home, belong to a social networking site and use the Internet to connect with friends, a regional survey by the Gulf-based research group YouGovSiraj has found.
Women's rights in Saudi Arabia have always been a topic of international “curiosity,” a word that may not be the correct one but it’s the only one that comes to mind.
Rosemin Manji took her love for fashion and turned it into a thriving career. Her company, RR & Co., does everything from public relations for high-profile luxury brands to personal styling for private clients.
The notion of women being actively involved in business in the Gulf, let alone running successful and lucrative companies, is not widely held. The common view among Saudis and foreigners alike is that business is male-dominated. It is a view that is reinforced simply by visiting Saudi companies. They tend to be all-male preserves. But shrinking preserves. More and more Gulf women work or want to work — in many cases, simply out of economic necessity.
