Saudi Arabia highlights women empowerment reforms at Asian Women’s Forum

TASHKENT — Assistant Speaker of the Saudi Shoura Council Dr. Hanan Al-Ahmadi highlighted Saudi Arabia’s experience in supporting and empowering women during the second Asian Women’s Forum held in Uzbekistan.Speaking during the forum, Dr. Al-Ahmadi said the major transformations achieved by Saudi Arabia across various sectors came under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and with the support and follow-up of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, through making women’s empowerment a core pillar of Saudi Vision 2030.She said the Kingdom implemented broad legislative and institutional reforms aimed at strengthening women’s rights and expanding their participation in national development.Dr. Al-Ahmadi also stressed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to promoting international dialogue and cooperation on issues of common interest, while praising the warm reception and hospitality extended to the Saudi delegation, which she said reflected the strong relations between Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan.She noted that the world, particularly Asia, faces accelerating challenges and crises that significantly affect women, underscoring the need for greater cooperation and exchange of expertise to support women’s empowerment as a key pillar for stable and prosperous societies.The assistant speaker said Vision 2030 placed significant emphasis on legislative reforms as a foundation for strengthening rights, justice and equal opportunities.She added that Saudi Arabia has witnessed major legislative and institutional transformation that enhanced women’s status, widened their participation and opened broader opportunities for them across multiple sectors.According to Dr. Al-Ahmadi, these reforms contributed to Saudi Arabia being ranked among the countries making the most progress in women’s empowerment, gender gap indicators and supportive legal frameworks.She pointed to the growing presence of Saudi women across different sectors, noting that women’s participation in the technology sector has exceeded global averages, while Saudi women have also achieved strong representation in science, culture and sports.She added that Saudi women have reached space as astronauts, scientists and researchers, reflecting the success of the Kingdom’s empowerment and qualification programs.Dr. Al-Ahmadi also described women’s inclusion in the Shoura Council in 2013 as a historic milestone following a royal order stipulating that women represent no less than 20% of council members.She said the step reflected Saudi Arabia’s direction toward expanding national participation and strengthening women’s role in legislative work and decision-making.Concluding her remarks, Dr. Al-Ahmadi said Saudi women have become active partners in comprehensive national development, moving from empowerment to leadership and influence as the Kingdom continues to promote moderation, support women’s roles and build a vibrant society, thriving economy and ambitious nation.She also expressed hope that the forum’s discussions would contribute to strengthening cooperation among participating countries and produce practical initiatives supporting stability, prosperity and development.The Saudi Shoura Council delegation participating in the forum also includes Shoura Council members Dr. Latifa Al-Abdulkareem and Dr. Ghada Al-Hathli.