King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has again demonstrated his determination to ensure the country stays on course to meet tough future challenges, particularly in terms of job creation. This has all been done taking into account the conservative nature of Saudi society and the desires and aspirations of the people. King Abdullah's decree that Saudi women must be employed at lingerie shops across the country is clearly a significant decision. Certain industries, including drug manufacturing firms, also have to make jobs available for Saudi women. The ministries of labor and interior have been given until the end of this month to implement the decree. The employment of Saudi women at lingerie shops has long been a contentious issue and has been called for by many in this country. There have been repeated campaigns by women, including on the social networking site, Facebook, entitled “Enough Embarrassment”, calling for change. Besides the embarrassment, there is the critical question of jobs for citizens. It is estimated that 6,000 jobs will now become available for Saudi women. If all the government's labor measures are taken into consideration, including the new Saudization plan, an expected 70,000 jobs will be created for Saudi women quite quickly. There will unquestionably be significant positive consequences from this decision. Many thousands of Saudi women will be able to provide another income for their families. This translates into food on the table, better education and importantly, a greater measure of self-respect and usefulness. There will also be another economic knock-on effect, with many Saudi women shopping locally who would have gone to purchase their intimate wear in neighboring countries. It is quite significant that in the same week the decree was issued, there were reports from the Eastern Province that 15 Saudi women were returning to work as cashiers at a well-known supermarket in Al-Khobar. This comes after a nine-month delay over whether this was in line with labor ministry regulations. The women only serve families and no single men. They are also separated from men in the workplace, a move which has satisfied their families, according to reports. This fits in with the customs and traditions of Saudi society. All these events illustrate that Saudi women are taking their rightful place in society. The King must be commended for his decision. __
