Work in establishing the first all-women industrial zone (or “city,” as it is locally called) is progressing and the project will be ready for operation after the completion of infrastructure and equipment. In June 2004, Saudi authorities approved the establishment of an all-women industrial zone in Jeddah at a cost of SR375 million.
Covering an area of 600,000 square meters, the zone will host training centers and employ approximately 10,000 women at more than 80 factories.
Two agreements have already been signed with a Chinese and a Malaysian company to start training programs for the women. The facility will be launched with female Asian workers who will then be replaced with trained Saudi women.
The moving spirit behind this massive project is businesswoman Hessah Al-Oun, chairman of Al-Bidaia Holding Company Group, which owns, among other businesses, the International Earth for Real Estate and Mining Development Company and the Industrial Cities for Productive Families Company.
“I’m currently establishing industrial cities for whole families who can live there and work together to produce various products,” explains Al-Oun. “I have made agreements worth SR600 million with an industrial company to establish three such cities, in Hail, Yanbu and in the Eastern Province at the industrial cities being built there. I’m going to float 50 percent of these industrial cities to the poor as shareholding companies. The idea is to help the poor help themselves and be part of the economic development. There will be over 90 factories for small and medium projects in these industrial cities.”
Al-Oun believes that undertakings such as agricultural products, handicrafts, perfumes, carpets and computer assembling will be suitable for family enterprises. “The government supports these projects through its funds and these products and jobs are certainly needed. Before we can start employing the families, we have to train them first. My strategy is to have facilities to train them and then employ them in the industrial cities,” she explains.
