Even with 215,000 businesswomen in the country, Saudi Arabian law requires every woman to operate her business only through a male agent. And now, reports the Saudi Arab News, the women are fed up.
According to the December 20 edition of the English-language newspaper, the businesswomen’s committee of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry is pushing for permission to operate their own businesses without a male agent. The newspaper explains that the women “worry the agents find it easy to cheat them and harm their ventures.”
One Saudi businesswoman, quoted by Arab News, said: “It is very strange to have to hire someone to look after a woman’s business. Women are independent in Islam. They are financially independent and they can conduct business on their own. As a Saudi businesswoman, I find it very upsetting to leave my money and business in the hands of a stranger.”
There is also a keen financial interest, as noted by the Saudi newspaper. Another businesswoman commented that “once the ministry approves commercial registration by women without an authorized agent it would encourage women to invest the huge funds which now lie dormant in their bank accounts.” And those investment funds could reach $16.5 billion, Arab News reported.
Aware of the potential, “the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority has opened a special center to encourage investment from Saudi women,” according to the newspaper, and “all Saudi commercial banks have increased their services for women, whose interest in business and investment has increased considerably in recent years.”
According to the December 20 edition of the English-language newspaper, the businesswomen’s committee of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry is pushing for permission to operate their own businesses without a male agent. The newspaper explains that the women “worry the agents find it easy to cheat them and harm their ventures.”
One Saudi businesswoman, quoted by Arab News, said: “It is very strange to have to hire someone to look after a woman’s business. Women are independent in Islam. They are financially independent and they can conduct business on their own. As a Saudi businesswoman, I find it very upsetting to leave my money and business in the hands of a stranger.”
There is also a keen financial interest, as noted by the Saudi newspaper. Another businesswoman commented that “once the ministry approves commercial registration by women without an authorized agent it would encourage women to invest the huge funds which now lie dormant in their bank accounts.” And those investment funds could reach $16.5 billion, Arab News reported.
Aware of the potential, “the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority has opened a special center to encourage investment from Saudi women,” according to the newspaper, and “all Saudi commercial banks have increased their services for women, whose interest in business and investment has increased considerably in recent years.”