Restaurant run by Saudi women opens in KSA

A group of Saudi women in the central region of Qassim in KSA have opened a restaurant staffed solely by women.

The outlet is the first of its kind in the region and was launched to help tackle the issue of unemployment among women in the Kingdom. 

Asma Ibrahim, who works in the restaurant, told Saudi Gazette: “This is a great move by a group of women who can cook well and are capable of supplying high standard hygienic food.”

Nawal Obaid, the marketing officer for the restaurant, which is based in Buraidah, said the restaurant is a move in the right direction.

“The food and catering market is currently dominated by expatriates by 99%,” she shared, and added that she hoped the Labor and Social Development Ministry would encourage more women in similar ventures. 

According to figures released by the Ministry of Economy and Planning in mid-2015, 70% of unemployed Saudis in the Kingdom are women.

Currently in KSA, the unemployment figures for Saudi nationals are 6% for men, and 34% for women. In contrast, 51% of Saudi nationals who are graduates are women. For the bachelor degree level of graduates, this is 64%.