Saudi Aramco increases female recruitment by 20%

Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) has increased its recruitment of women by 20 percent over the past few years, with female employees currently accounting for 8 percent of the company’s workforce, Huda Al-Ghoson, the company’s executive director of human resources, told Argaam on Tuesday.

Female students also account for up to 30 percent of the 400 students sponsored by Aramco to study overseas every year, she said on the sidelines of the annual Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) Forum in Dubai.

“We want to unlock the potential for this underrepresented group to play a prominent role in senior professional and leadership jobs,” said Al-Ghoson, who was the first woman to be named a permanent executive director in Aramco’s history. “Research consistently shows that greater gender diversity brings many benefits and improves decision-making and business performance.”

Al-Ghoson also highlighted at the forum that a skills gap in the region remains a key challenge for energy firms trying to attract young talent.

“Everyone knows that there is a fundamental disconnect between the supply of talent and the business needs of the industry. Unemployment levels across the region remain stubbornly high, yet business leaders report difficulties in filling jobs with skilled workers,” she said.

According to a study by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, unemployment among youth in Saudi Arabia is forecast to rise to 42 percent by 2030 from 33.5 percent last year. Moreover, a little over half of employers (55 percent) in the kingdom think Saudi graduates are prepared for the job market.

Greater industry involvement in the education sector is needed to address the skills disparity, Al-Ghoson said.

“The process of education reform as it stands today cannot catch up with industry demand and it falls short in preparing students with workplace-practical skills,” she noted, adding that the skills mostly lacking are STEM disciplines and soft skills like critical thinking and communication. 

“Collaboration and partnerships with the educational sector is very important,” she concluded.

Saudi Arabia, in its Vision 2030 economic reform plan, announced that it aims to boost women’s participation in the workforce from 22 percent to 30 percent. 

Write to Jerusha Sequeira at jerusha.s@argaamnews.com