There's a secret weapon in Saudi Arabia often forgotten and frequently ignored by the West: Saudi women — and they are smart, intelligent and qualified. Thanks to the Muslim injunction to seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave, they are educated to the same level as, if not higher than, the men, and their grades are often better. They are PhDs, have second degrees and exercise huge influence in the family, or extended family; they organize the households, marriages and other rites of passage and they understand the social and tribal webs and networks.

Because of the basis of inheritance in shari'ah (Islamic law), they own considerable fortunes in their own right and indeed a good part of the wealth of the country. They also don't have to change their names following marriage. Under shari'ah a woman is supposed to have control of her inheritance, dowry before and after marriage. Many businesses are owned by women, according to the lists kept by the regional Chambers of Commerce & Industry. But these lists have not made a distinction between those businesses actively run by women and those owned by them. For instance, in the industrial sector industries owned by women amount to more than SR4.5 billion ($1.2 billion), but few women are actively running these investments.

Photo by Marco Venditti

However, because of the traditional and tribal nature of Saudi society and Saudi Arabia's position as custodian of the two Holy Mosques, it is taking time for women to adopt a full role in society and its economic development. For instance, they cannot work in the same room as men, as in some cases, such as at the universities, they have to be physically separate and talk to their male colleagues through CCTV. In other situations though, such as at the school for medicine, men and women do work alongside each other.

But everyone recognizes that if women were allowed to take a greater part in the economy the problems of Saudi unemployment and Saudiisation could more easily be solved. The number of professions into which women can go is still limited and their contribution to the economy and the wealth of the country still small. Women have been expected to go into nursing, medicine, education or charitable activities or in the public sector to go, for instance, into the Post, Telecommunications and Telegraphs ministry in a separate building. In government jobs, a number of women have now risen to the rank of deputy minister. In private businesses, the banking sector has been the most advanced in training women. The commercial banks now have women not just as managers of women's branches of the banks but as divisional managers in the bank headquarters.

Technically there is no way that a woman can be licensed to practice certain professions, including chartered accountancy and the law, engineering and architecture. In practice, of course, women are in these professions. But the barriers discourage young women from entering professions through which they could gain satisfaction from serving their country or improving their society.

Attitudes to business women vary through the country. In the Western Region on the Red Sea, the most cosmopolitan part of Saudi Arabia, the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce has a thriving women's training section. In the oil province in the east the Chamber of Commerce has been planning for a year or two to recognize a Business Women's Group and provide them with a base in the Chamber building. In the Central Region, the heartland of Saudi Arabia, women have opportunities to work and many do in the furniture and fashion businesses.

Business women who actively wish to run their own operations experience some difficulties due to the traditional nature of society. While they are allowed into the Chambers of Commerce themselves, it is often easier to work through a male guardian to act as their power of attorney to process documentation. Notaries are needed for all transactions and finding them is difficult, although this is as true for men as for women.

A lack of mobility has also hindered the development of national women's groups, as business women are keen to meet their counterparts from the Hejaz to the Gulf and to discuss ideas, exchange information and encourage the aspirants.

However, there are significant moves from both the private sector and government institutions to help women learn or gain their presentational and office skills. Women have a huge contribution to make and such courses are pointing the way to Saudi women to get into employment and play a greater role in society.

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