RIYADH — Maram Al-Jishi, a computer engineer who has been in the technology field workforce for almost 9 years said: "I have seen tremendous shift in the recruitment of female executives in the technology industry. When I first started as a computer-engineering graduate, females were rarely considered for technical roles. They were instead offered administrative roles, and then moved to sales profile. In the present scenario, females are leading technical teams, which I am extremely proud of. Today, women are shining in sales profile as well." Al-Jishi explained that Saudi women in engineering fields are not only competing locally but also on international levels, with many females working abroad. Women's contribution in the Saudi technology community is also helping the country achieve Vision 2030 objectives. Women are working in departments across the organizational structure and are excelling in the roles from sales to relationship management to technical sales and project management. She advised Saudi women to always trust and believe in themselves and never let anyone question their capabilities. As a sales strategy and planning country lead, Filwah Al-Henaki talked about the challenges she might face in the technology field and said: "Five years ago, as a fresh graduate, it was difficult to gain the trust of the management and build good professional relationships with my co-workers. However, I was successful and recognized by the country management for best support function of the year 2018 for my outstanding accomplishment and innovation capacity. Meeting the expectations of the senior management, accepting challenges, being consistent and understanding the company's mission and goals were few things that helped me gain trust of the larger team." Al-Henaki advice to the other aspiring Saudi women is: "You can be a part of it. We see our country, as an active member of the G20, a group that comprises the world's strongest economies. With tremendous ambition, we look forward to the Kingdom becoming a pioneering model in all aspects, relying on the roles played by our young male and female citizens, as we strive to achieve the goals of Vision 2030". Nada Saeed had an opportunity to train high school students, which was a delightful experience. "Sensing the ambition and curiosity of the new generation to explore the business world was very satisfying. I felt proud to share my knowledge with the students and motivate them to perform well in their professional lives. Based on my experience, I was thrilled to guide and share insights on the requirements from an individual in the technology industry". Saeed was awarded the "Employee of the Year". She said that Saudi women are an important part of the sustainable development of the Kingdom, and their empowerment is vital in Saudi Arabia's National Transformation Plan. "It is the golden time for all of us as Saudi women to succeed. Taking responsibility of what we do, sharing our skills and knowledge, being ambitious, welcoming challenges and, most importantly, respecting others while having a positive attitude will always give us the chance to achieve our goals". Talking about empowering Saudi women, Yasmeen Mariki, an HR consultant and one of the few Saudi women taking over this role, said: "HPE believes, advocates and encourages women empowerment. That is evident in my recent promotion to the HR Business Partner for Central, Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa (CEEMA) region; Global Field Delivery (GFD) in addition to my current role as HR Manager for Saudi Arabia". Mariki explained the development in HR and women employment during her long experience that in the last 22 years of her career, she had various opportunities to develop professionally and as an individual in the HR field; courses, seminars, workshops and certifications, most of those opportunities were through HPE. "Additionally, the world is witnessing the changes by the government of Saudi Arabia to empower women through Vision 2030. This initiative has helped women undertake leadership roles in both public and private sector jobs. HPE also had a woman president & CEO and still has women at EVP and SVP level, so I consider HPE as one of the pioneering and leading companies in women empowerment."
