Navigating the path back: Women returners in KSA

Women are a transformational force in the Saudi labour market, but many face challenges when returning to work following career breaks

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the transformational shift in societal attitudes, as well as the introduction of legal reforms and Saudisation policies, have resulted in a significant increase in the number of women in the workforce.

Between 2017 and 2023, the female labour force participation rate more than doubled, rising from 17.4% to 36%, and is ahead of the target set for 2030. With recent labour law reforms in KSA, many of the impediments for women to work have now been removed. There are new protections in place, like the right to equal pay, and legal provisions that seek to prevent discrimination in employment, and protect against sexual harassment in the workplace.

As with the broader MENA region, many women in KSA tend to leave their jobs when they start a family. However, as women become increasingly integrated in the Saudi workforce, the presence of women returners will also become more common. Unfortunately, many women returners face challenges in their transition back to professional life, which can leave them feeling discouraged, with some leaving the workforce altogether.

The size of the prize from getting this right is huge. In our latest report, Navigating the path back: Women returners in MENA, we examine the challenges that women in Saudi Arabia face in the workplace and offer possible solutions for employers to empower them, in line with the National Transformation agenda.

The combined economic potential of women that take career breaks could be as large as US$385bn across the nine MENA countries we have studied. In fact, there are not just significant business, economic, and social benefits from encouraging the participation of women in the workforce; businesses also benefit from being able to access a skilled and experienced talent pool, thereby building strong and sustainable leadership pipelines.

Women in Saudi Arabia are more likely to take career breaks, but are slightly less likely to return to work than their MENA counterparts

In Saudi Arabia, more than half (55%) of the women surveyed have taken career breaks, higher than the 44% of their peers in the MENA region. However, women in the Kingdom are also less likely to return to work - only 40% of Saudi women who have taken career breaks have returned to work, slightly lower than the 43% of MENA women who have done so.

In line with MENA findings, the key reason for taking a career break in Saudi Arabia is due to caregiving responsibilities. But unlike the rest of MENA, women in KSA also consider caring for their own mental or physical wellbeing as one of the top three reasons for taking a career break.

Among the women surveyed who took career breaks, 67% were at the peak of their careers in experienced, senior management and C-level roles. This is similar to what we have seen in the wider MENA region, where 68% of women have taken career breaks beyond entry level.

As with the broader MENA region, women in Saudi Arabia are motivated to return to work primarily for financial independence and personal development. However, it is noteworthy that the drive for financial independence is stronger in KSA than in the MENA region (42% vs. 38%), while the motivation for growth and development is comparatively lower in KSA (27% vs. 30% in the MENA).

Feedback from focus groups suggest that by becoming financially independent, women are better equipped to support themselves and their families, giving them greater financial security and control.

Women in KSA value work-life balance and alternative work models

Our survey has highlighted that the top three factors enabling women’s return to work in KSA, in line with the broader region, included partner and family support, societal support, and access to job opportunities that matched their skills and experience.

The top three employer characteristics that women returners look out for include employers that emphasise work-life balance, fulfilling work and flexible and remote working opportunities.

Our call to action: re-integrating women into the workforce

More than half of the women we surveyed (60%) in KSA indicated that taking career breaks will have a negative impact on their careers, similar to the sentiment shared by their peers in the wider MENA region. So, how can businesses in the region unlock this experienced but underutilised pool of talent?

Here are four key actions for employers to consider: