ABSTRACT
Saudi Arabia is the cradle of Islam, as it contains the holiest of sites within Islam and it is the location of the world’s largest pilgrimage (the hajj) (Pharaon, 2004). It is also a country that has the largest proven oil reserves in the world, estimated at over 264 billion barrels, or 21 per cent of the world’s total reserves (SAMIRAD, 2011). It has been characterized as a ‘rentier state’ which prospered almost exclusively from the rents received from the extraction and export of petroleum reserves (Al-Rasheed, 2010). The country views itself as the guardian of pure authentic Islam and it is governed according to Islamic law (Sharia law). At the same time it is a country in transition: a country in which successful economic growth has certainly changed its demographic and social structure. Since the 1970s, aided by its oil revenues, the Kingdom has undergone rapid development in many areas such as industry, education, transportation, health, social services and business. This rapid advancement of Saudi Arabia has provided more employment opportunities for men and women (Al-Khateep, 2007; MEP, 2014). This trend has gained further impetus from the government’s commitment to ensuring that the Kingdom takes its place amongst the developed nations of the world; the desire to reduce dependence on foreign workers; and accession to the World Trade Organization (Budhwar and Mellahi, 2006). In this situation, the government has recognized that the key to the nation’s further development lies in its human resources, and that women constitute a source of untapped potential.
