Inspirational Saudi women offer sage advice to recent graduates entering the workforce

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Hajar Alnaim. (Supplied)
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Updated 17 July 2023
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Inspirational Saudi women offer sage advice to recent graduates entering the workforce

  • ‘Vision 2030 has turned everything around,’ says Saudi motor sports pioneer Reema Juffali

RIYADH: Saudi women have time and again defied all odds with tenacity, carving niches for themselves across different fields since the country’s establishment.

From Princess Noura bint Abdulrahman, adviser to her brother King Abdulaziz, to Rayyanah Barnawi, the first Saudi woman to go to space, to Mishaal Ashemimry, the first female aerospace engineer in the Gulf Cooperation Council — the list is impressive and growing.

Some inspiring and resilient Saudi women spoke to Arab News to share their thoughts and offer sage advice to young Saudi graduates who are all set to enter the workforce.




Nouf Alosaimi. (Supplied)

“Take a chance and believe in yourself,” said Reema Juffali, the first Saudi female professional racing driver to win an international motor race.

With the driving ban in the Kingdom lifted in 2018, a realm of possibilities for women was unveiled, but with change came great uncertainty.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Hajar Al-Naim’s Studio Production Training is backed by the Saudi Cultural Fund.

• Hawazen Al-Hassoun, PwC’s Middle East COO, oversees all internal services for more than 2,000 employees in six offices around the Kingdom.

• Professional racing driver Reema Juffali was on BBC’s 100 Women list of inspiring and influential women around the world in 2022.

Juffali, who earned a spot on BBC’s 100 Women list of inspiring and influential women around the world last year, said: “The challenges have been more to do with self-belief, especially when things seemed to be not going my way. I’ve had to remind myself to be patient and trust the process to achieve my long-term goals.”




Nouf Al-Osaimi dived 105 meters in Jeddah’s Red Sea. (Supplied)

Women across the country are entering male-dominated fields and “intimidation is there when you’re around people who’ve been doing this for so many years.”

Women were first allowed into government spaces in 2011 following a royal decree by King Abdullah, who appointed 30 women to the Shoura Council.

“Vision 2030 has turned everything around. It’s not just opened new doors, but new horizons. Women in particular have now taken up jobs that they hadn’t had the opportunity to explore in the past,” Juffali said.




Hawazen Al-Hassoun, PwC’s Middle East COO

In the corporate world, PwC’s Middle East Chief Operating Officer Hawazen Al-Hassoun has made it her mission to create a work environment pillared by inclusion and diversity.

“This means creating an environment where employees have equal opportunities for career development and even equal pay in a culture that fosters respect to all,” Al-Hassoun told Arab News.

As the first woman to take up the position, she oversees all internal services for more than 2,000 employees in six offices around the Kingdom and focuses on implementing operational excellence, driving business process efficiency, and executing on strategic goals.




Inspiring the next generation of saudi women, Rayyanah Barnawi is the first saudi woman to go to space.

Bringing Vision 2030 to life, this year the regional headquarters welcomed 190 new graduates, all Saudi nationals — 50 percent of whom were women. They have also launched an on-the-job training program in AlUla that leverages the global consultancy’s collective industry expertise and aims to provide hands-on professional experience to fresh Saudi graduates.

Al-Hassoun, who grew up in a family that values equal opportunities, feels that “gender bias is still an issue. However, by speaking up and seeking out support, women can overcome these challenges and achieve success in their careers.”

The world needs more female leaders who contribute their skills and vision to the table. Ultimately, the path to success is never a straight line. Each one of us has their own unique journey. But always remember, don’t give up on your dreams.

Hawazen Al-Hassoun, PwC’s Middle East COO

According to a report published by the firm, 40 percent of working-age women within Saudi Arabia and GCC countries are employed, and fewer than 20 percent of all senior managers are females.

The type of cultural shift that would see more women in leadership positions involves a number of considerations. It is a transitional change, Al-Hassoun says, which will also require an agenda for diversity to be pushed more broadly across the workforce.

Women face a number of barriers that vary from managing work-life commitments to accessing training and development. There is also a lack of career opportunities and advancement.




A large number of scuba diving centers can be found in Saudi Arabia. (Supplied)

“Businesses need to embed diversity strategies for the entire career lifecycle, setting diversity key performance indicators to ensure fair assessments for women and reinforcing supportive workplace cultures. It’s also a critical step for employers to effectively attract, recruit, and retain talented young women,” Al-Hassoun said.

She suggests that businesses take steps like providing top mentorship and sponsorship, peer support groups, access to female leaders and role models, flexible work hours and paid leave, and equitable compensation processes.

NUMBER

105m

Nouf Al-Osaimi dived 105 meters in Jeddah’s Red Sea, the deepest depth achieved by a woman in Saudi Arabia.

Al-Hassoun said: “I want young women to understand the opportunities and career paths that are currently available to them. It is important with the consistent changes that are circling the Kingdom for young women to be aware and educated on what they are able to achieve and obtain.”

To young graduates, she emphasized the uniqueness of their individual perspectives: “The world needs more female leaders who contribute their skills and vision to the table. Ultimately, the path to success is never a straight line. Each one of us has their own unique journey. But always remember, don’t give up on your dreams.”

Many of the female change-makers were first and foremost driven by passion. For filmmaker Hajar Al-Naim, co-founder and executive producer at production house MTHEC and cofounder of Studio Production Training, her hope was to change lives.

As a student abroad at Loyola Marymount University, before the Kingdom established the Film Commission under the Ministry of Culture, it was clear that talents at home were lacking proper training.

“It wasn’t easy for a lot of guys to learn about filmmaking, so it was extra hard for me to learn about that in Saudi Arabia … That experience that I had in Los Angeles, I wanted to give it back to our talents in Saudi Arabia,” she told Arab News.

SPT, backed by the Saudi Cultural Fund, has recently launched The Studio program, which seeks to educate talent and provide fellow filmmakers with support throughout the production process.

Similarly, Saudi scuba instructor Nouf Al-Osaimi saw the discrepancy in the water sports industry.

Al-Osaimi first dived into the Red Sea in 2008 and instantly became mesmerized by its beauty and the richness of life teeming there. She began exploring the field and gained more experience, becoming an open-water diver and advancing to rescue and dive master.

In 2011, she graduated from the UK with a degree in tourism management.

“We didn’t even have tourism in Saudi Arabia at the time,” she told Arab News. “I do what I love and what makes me fulfilled. I don’t do things for the community, or society, or anyone — I do it for myself. When you do things for yourself, you go to places that you’ve never thought of.”

While she was working in Egypt after graduation, she said she was not taken seriously by her colleagues. “But I believed it was for me, which is why I pushed (for it),” Al-Osaimi said.

“The first challenge was that I wasn’t able to go on a boat without a guardian, so I was limited to small beaches. I had to be low-profile, and the community was dominated by men back then, so I had to be careful.”

From a societal aspect, the industry itself was not taken seriously. But Al-Osaimi overcame these challenges and slowly reached higher ranks, working at the diving center in a five-star hotel in Sharm El Sheikh.

After deciding it was time to come home and share her expertise locally, she became the first Saudi female technical diver, diving 105 meters in Jeddah’s Red Sea, the deepest distance achieved by a woman in the country.

She then founded the Red Sea Citizen Dive club to raise awareness about the diving field in the region, and Pink Bubbles Divers, a community-based group to empower women in the field, and held the first global PADI Women Dive Day in Saudi Arabia in 2017. She is now an AmbassaDiver for the Professional Association of Diving Instructors.

This year, she delivered the opening speech at the World Economic Forum, asking world leaders to protect the coral reefs in the Red Sea. She was also invited as a speaker at the Ocean’s Dinner event organized by the Saudi UNESCO delegation in Paris.

She said: “Finally, I can change people’s lives the same way diving changed mine … I dedicated my life to the thing I love most, even though it wasn’t something necessarily accepted in society.”

Al-Osaimi now captains her own boats, in a sign that bodes well for Saudi women as they set sail for new horizons.

 


Hajj moves on: Pilgrimage shifts to cooler seasons for next 25 years

Updated 11 June 2025
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Hajj moves on: Pilgrimage shifts to cooler seasons for next 25 years

  • Over the next two decades, the Islamic lunar calendar will bring Hajj progressively into cooler seasons

MAKKAH: Hajj this year will be remembered not only for its spiritual significance but also for its climatic turning point. According to the National Center of Meteorology, the 1446 Hajj season officially marks the end of the pilgrimage coinciding with the peak summer months, a pattern that will not return for another 25 years.

Over the next two decades, the Islamic lunar calendar will bring Hajj progressively into cooler seasons. Eight upcoming pilgrimages will take place in spring, followed by another eight in winter. After that, the dates will fall in autumn, gradually warming again until Hajj re-enters the summer cycle around the year 2050.

This shift is part of the natural lunar cycle, which causes the Islamic calendar to shift backward by about 10 to 11 days each Gregorian year. For Saudi authorities, climate experts, and pilgrims alike, the change provides relief from one of the most challenging aspects of performing Hajj: having to endure blistering desert temperatures.

For decades, the Kingdom’s efforts to enhance infrastructure and expand services during Hajj have often had to work around the burden of extreme heat. From providing cooling mist fans and shaded walkways to using emergency teams trained in heatstroke response, the challenge of keeping millions of pilgrims safe during peak summer has been central to planning.

“This marks a pivotal moment,” said Hamza Al-Dosari, a Riyadh-based geographer and climate researcher. “The summer pilgrimage has always brought with it additional risks — dehydration, heat exhaustion, and logistical pressures. Moving into spring and winter seasons means significantly reduced heat exposure for the pilgrims, and this will have both health and operational implications.”

Al-Dosari said the coming years will offer a rare opportunity to rethink how the Hajj experience is managed. “We’ll be seeing pilgrimages that occur in temperatures often 10 to 15 degrees lower than what we’ve dealt with in recent years. This changes everything, from the energy load on cooling systems to how fast emergency response teams can work. It also makes the pilgrimage more accessible to the elderly and those with chronic conditions.”

He also noted that this shift does not remove the need for continued environmental preparation. “Spring and winter bring their own weather patterns — rain, wind, occasional cold snaps. The planning doesn’t get easier; it just changes. But it will be a welcome adjustment for many.”

For pilgrims such as Sarah Al-Abdulmohsen, who performed Hajj this year, the news that future seasons will be cooler came with mixed emotions.

“I’m incredibly grateful I made it this year, but the heat was truly overwhelming,” said the 32-year-old Saudi from Dhahran. “At one point in Mina, I checked my phone and it said 47°C. You try to focus on your prayers, but your body is screaming for shade and water.”

Al-Abdulmohsen said she was thrilled to hear that future pilgrims will perform their rituals under gentler weather. “It’s good news. This will make a huge difference for the elderly and for families who’ve always worried about how the heat might affect their loved ones.”

She added that the intense conditions only strengthened her admiration for the logistics of the pilgrimage. “Despite the temperature, I saw volunteers helping people constantly — giving out water, spraying cooling mist. But you can’t deny that cooler seasons will make Hajj more comfortable, even emotionally. You’ll have more clarity of mind, more presence in your prayers.”

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the General Authority for the Care of the Two Holy Mosques have not yet released public statements on how this seasonal shift will influence future planning, but the long-term outlook is promising.

“This could be a historic period for rethinking pilgrim services,” Al-Dosari said. “Think about transportation, food distribution, energy consumption — all of these improve in moderate weather. Even spiritual engagement may deepen, as pilgrims won’t be fighting against their physical limits to complete the rituals.”

With temperatures expected to be in the 20s and 30s Celsius in future seasons, planners may also be able to expand the use of outdoor spaces and reduce reliance on energy-intensive cooling systems, helping to align Hajj services with Saudi Arabia’s broader sustainability goals under Vision 2030.

While many are welcoming the change, some seasoned pilgrims may find themselves nostalgic. Summer Hajj has been the norm for most Saudis under 40, with its own rhythm, expectations, and sense of trial. The struggle against heat has long been part of the journey’s narrative, testing faith and endurance.

Yet, for many others, especially those who delayed Hajj because of health concerns, this shift will finally open the door. With temperatures easing, the coming years could mean an increase in the number of pilgrims who were previously unable to perform the rituals due to medical or age-related reasons.

As the lunar calendar resets the course of one of Islam’s most important rituals, this transition may redefine what Hajj looks and feels like for an entire generation, not just spiritually, but physically and emotionally as well.


Saudi aid agency KSrelief delivers food to needy

Updated 11 June 2025
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Saudi aid agency KSrelief delivers food to needy

  • The distribution is a part of the 2025 emergency food and clothing aid project in Lebanon

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s aid agency KSrelief has distributed 360 food packages to vulnerable individuals in Lebanon’s cities of Tripoli and Jbeil, benefiting 1,800 people.

The distribution is a part of the 2025 emergency food and clothing aid project in Lebanon, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the charity distributed 1,780 sacrificial animals in the Al-Madinah and Al-Wadi districts of Yemen’s Marib governorate on Sunday.

The initiative benefited 3,560 families under an Eid Al-Adha project in Yemen.


Newly appointed Saudi ambassador to Mexico presents his credentials

Updated 11 June 2025
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Newly appointed Saudi ambassador to Mexico presents his credentials

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s newly appointed ambassador to Mexico has presented his credentials to the North American state’s foreign ministry, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Fahad bin Ali Al-Manawer handed over a copy of his credentials to Ambassador Jonathan Chait Auerbach, the director general of protocol at the ministry, at a reception held on Tuesday. 
The diplomats also reviewed relations between their nations at the meeting.
Al-Manawer took his oath of office in from to the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in March, in a ceremony attended by the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.


Saudi FM attends Oslo Forum in Norway

Updated 10 June 2025
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Saudi FM attends Oslo Forum in Norway

  • Forum hosts global leaders and conflict mediators
  • Prince Faisal bin Farhan will meet foreign officials

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in the Norwegian capital on Tuesday to take part in the Oslo Forum.

The annual event, organized by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue in Switzerland, hosts global leaders and conflict mediators.

Prince Faisal will meet foreign officials to strengthen relations with the Kingdom and discuss various regional and international issues, the Saudi Press Agency reported.


What pilgrims are sharing online after their Hajj journey

Updated 10 June 2025
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What pilgrims are sharing online after their Hajj journey

  • Worshippers take to social media to share profound experiences with loved ones
  • Posting online becomes a way to process the weight of Hajj for many

RIYADH: For many pilgrims, the spiritual journey of Hajj does not end when they leave the holy sites. It continues — quietly, intentionally — in the days and weeks that follow.

Across Saudi Arabia, young pilgrims are using social media to process the weight of Hajj and share the experience with loved ones.

Noor Ahmad, 21, did not plan to post during her pilgrimage. But after she returned, the urge to share came naturally.

After returning from Hajj, I decided to share a few captured moments. But how can a photo truly capture the depth and majesty of the experience?

Noor Ahmad

“After returning from Hajj, I decided to share a few captured moments,” she said. “But how can a photo truly capture the depth and majesty of the experience?”

She described how people responded in varied ways. “Those who had gone before felt nostalgic and started sharing their own stories. Others — those who hadn’t been yet — expressed their longing. It became this moment of connection.”

For Noor, the decision to post was not about aesthetics. “It’s a monumental event. Maybe I could inspire someone who’s hesitant to go. Maybe they’ll see what I saw — and want to experience it for themselves.

“It was my way of saying thank you”

Shatha Al-Jadaan, 25, took a different approach to sharing, after taking a digital detox.

I enjoy sharing meaningful moments, and after seeing the tremendous effort put into Hajj on every level, I felt my post was a small, sincere gesture of appreciation.

Shatha Al-Jadaan

“During Hajj, I decided to partially fast from social media. I used only the essentials,” she said. “After I returned, I posted a thread to my close friends explaining where I’d been and shared some of the most meaningful moments.”

The response was full of prayers and warmth. “People were kind, supportive, and curious. But what mattered most to me was that I used the thread to say thank you — to the organizers, to the volunteers, and to Allah.”

She spoke about how she found value in using digital platforms to document something greater than herself.

“I enjoy sharing meaningful moments, and after seeing the tremendous effort put into Hajj on every level, I felt my post was a small, sincere gesture of appreciation.”

Salem Al-Khudair, 28, recorded a voice note to his family group chat while performing the rites.

“I just couldn’t find the words to write. So I recorded myself speaking right after standing in Arafat. I sent it to my family WhatsApp group. My mom was emotional. My dad said, ‘May God accept from you.’ That was enough.”

In an age of curated content, Hajj posts tend to stand out for their sincerity. Pilgrims often strip away the filters, metaphors and trend-driven formats, and just speak from the heart.

Noura Al-Dosari, 23, uploaded a private Instagram story highlight with no captions. “Just visuals. No filters. No hashtags,” she said. “It wasn’t for followers. It was for me. For reflection. A digital bookmark of who I became.”

Some write long captions, others simply post a photo of their ihram folded neatly back into a drawer.

But all of them carry a silent message: I went. I came back different.

Many pilgrims use their posts to recall moments of physical hardship that brought emotional breakthroughs — the heat, the long walks, the brief but powerful connections with strangers.

Others use it to highlight the seamless organization of the pilgrimage as a reminder of how far the experience has evolved.

Amani Al-Saad, 26, used X to share a short story about a volunteer who helped her carry her bag in Muzdalifah. “She didn’t speak much, but she smiled at me and said, ‘This is what we’re here for.’ That stuck with me. I wrote about it as a reminder to myself — that sometimes the smallest moments hold the most meaning.”

While digital connections are increasingly common, most pilgrims emphasize that the real processing happens offline — in quiet conversations with family, in their prayer rooms, or on long drives home.

“I didn’t post to perform,” said Al-Jadaan. “I posted to remember.”