Saudi Women Now 35% of Workforce, Lead Major Construction

Women are walking quarry floors, managing billion-dollar projects, and redesigning how Saudi Arabia builds its future.

Female workforce participation in Saudi Arabia has doubled since 2017, rising from 17% to 35% across all sectors. The construction industry, once exclusively male, now sees women engineers, architects, and project managers leading teams on some of the region's most ambitious developments.

Sevgi Gul Gode, a mining engineer turned stone consultant, spends her days walking among massive stone blocks in quarries and coordinating quality control on major construction sites. "Being a woman in quarries and stone factories attracted attention and sometimes hesitation," she says. "But high-quality outcomes quickly turned curiosity into confidence."

The shift happened fast. Gode now works alongside female architects, designers, and engineers regularly, a sight virtually unknown just five years ago. "Women bring complementary perspectives to work, adding depth and attention to detail, both technically and aesthetically," she explains.

The change goes beyond numbers. Rachael Jones, who leads specialist services at JLL in Saudi Arabia after two decades in the industry, sees the difference in how teams operate. "As teams bring together a broader range of perspectives, discussions around problem-solving have become more thoughtful and well-rounded," she notes.

Companies are adapting too. Construction sites now provide better-fitting protective equipment, more flexible working arrangements, and clearer leadership pipelines for women. The changes reflect both policy reforms under Vision 2030 and practical necessity, as mega-projects like the Red Sea development and Qiddiya demand every available skilled professional.

Maha Almutlaq, founder of Bureau Bayn, sees women moving beyond simple participation into real influence. "It's not just about being present anymore, it's about where women are positioned and how involved they are in shaping projects," she says. Her firm sits at the intersection of design, culture, and construction, guiding how projects develop from concept to completion.

The Ripple Effect

The transformation in Saudi construction is creating opportunities across the entire Middle East region. As companies adjust policies and workplace cultures to support women, they're discovering improved collaboration, better decision-making, and more innovative solutions to complex engineering challenges.

The physical demands haven't changed. Gode is clear about that. "This is a high-risk workplace, and every decision must be accurate, fast, and responsible," she says. But the industry is learning what she already knows: "Being a woman in such a field is not a limitation, it's a strength."

Saudi Arabia's construction boom is being built by everyone now.