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We in Saudi Arabia used to have 100,000 opportunities for women. Today, we have over 1.3 million. And we’re not stopping.

Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud

Speaking on women’s workforce participation at the MISK Global Forum, 2023 · Checked on 2 March 2026
We in Saudi Arabia used to have 100,000 opportunities for women. Today, we have over 1.3 million. And we’re not stopping.

Analysis

Official Saudi labour statistics show that by 2022 about 1.3 million women were employed, matching the speaker’s current figure. However, the baseline of only 100,000 opportunities is far lower than historical data, which recorded several hundred thousand women in the labour force even before recent reforms. Therefore the statement exaggerates the growth magnitude.

Background

Saudi Arabia has pursued Vision 2030 policies to increase female labour participation, raising the share of women in the workforce from roughly 22 % in 2016 to over 30 % by 2022. Official statistics from the General Authority for Statistics report around 1.3 million employed women in recent years, not a jump from just 100 000.

Verdict summary

The claim inflates the past figure of women’s job opportunities while the current figure is roughly accurate.

Sources consulted

— Saudi General Authority for Statistics, Labour Force Survey 2022 (https://www.stats.gov.sa)
— World Bank Gender Statistics – Saudi Arabia, Female Labour Force Participation (https://data.worldbank.org)
— Reuters, "Saudi Arabia sees record rise in women’s employment" (June 2023)