Saudi women call for better access to property investment
Female entrepreneurs complain about being denied entrance to real-estate auctions when not accompanied by male guardians
Female entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia have called for easier access for women wanting to invest in the Kingdom’s burgeoning real-estate market.
Thoraya Kurdi, a real-estate investor and businesswoman told Arab News that women should have the right to enter property auctions and provide both input and investment into this increasingly competitive sector.
“We are… battling overly protective families and the male instincts to possess women,” said Kurdi.
She called on the government to set up a specialized training centre that would help direct businessmen and women to invest in the real estate market.
“We need to protect the money and reserves of our fellow citizens so they don’t seek investments abroad,” she added.
Kurdi said she had made many failed attempts to participate in real estate auctions, due to the lack of a male guardian.
Businesswoman Muna Nkhelain said Saudi society needs to open up to allow all women to participate in property investment.
Men and women are not allowed to mix freely in the ultra-conservative Gulf state, which has a low proportion of women in the workforce.
Statistics released by the Central Department of Statistics and Information showed that Saudi women occupy just 13% of private and public positions occupied by nationals, a report in The Saudi Gazette said. This is despite women accounting for 51% of all Saudi graduates.
