Fast facts: A Step Ahead career fair for Saudi women

Riyadh is hosting a special ladies-only career fair called A Step Ahead on April 15-16, aimed at boosting work opportunities for Saudi women. Here’s all you need to know about the event.

What is A Step Ahead all about?

A Step Ahead is a career fair taking place in Riyadh on April 15-16, exclusively for Saudi women to expose them to job opportunities and to encourage them to become active members of the workforce in Saudi Arabia. The two-day event will feature six steps towards attaining an individual’s goals in the form of workshops hosted by industry professionals as well as personal skill enhancing workshops. The last step will be unique to the rest, with employers being matched with potential candidates for interviews which may result in jobs.

Who is encouraged to attend?

Saudi female postgraduate students or fresh graduates who are looking for career opportunities are encouraged to attend. A diverse range of Saudi female professionals will be at the fair, looking for employment opportunities on a regional and international scale, as well as learning about requirements of their desired field. More than 10,000 Saudi female students have already registered for the career fair, according to Saudi newspaper Arab News.

Which companies are participating?

Over 35 multinational organisations are attending, including Oracle, KPMG, IBM, Nokia, PWC, Unilever, and HP. They are in partnership with 10 private universities across the Kingdom which have aided in sponsoring the event.

Who organised the career fair?

The career fair is a collective effort between professional industries KPMG, Nokia, Al Waleed Foundation, Saudi Oracle Women Leadership, and Glowork. The event is supported by Minister of Labour Adel Fakeih as well as General Electric Saudi Arabia, who are responsible for organising the workshops. Main sponsors include Riyadh Hub Global Shapers, who are a part of the World Economic Forum.

Why is this event important?

The career fair is vital for the career progress of women in Saudi Arabia, who make up less than 15% of the male-dominated workforce. According to a study conducted by Booz & Co., 78.3% of women in Saudi Arabia are qualified professionals holding a university degree in contrast to the 76% of unemployed men that have a secondary education or lower. Social, legislative, and occupational constraints are preventing women from actively participating in the Saudi labour market.

Who are Glowork?

Glowork is the first of its kind job portal in the Kingdom only for women. Run by a range of Saudi entrepreneurs dedicated towards empowering Saudi women and increasing opportunities on a regional basis, Glowork’s aim is to raise awareness and provide recruitment opportunities towards the unemployed female population in the Kingdom.