Boosting the culture of equality in Saudi Arabia’s organisations can foster innovation and boost economic growth, adding more than $400 billion to the country’s gross domestic product over the coming decade, according to Accenture and Alnahda Society.
“In Saudi Arabia, a critical starting point for the career advancement of women is at the top," said Khaled Al-Dhaher, country managing director at Accenture. "Our research concludes that a positive tone from the top of the organisation goes a long way in setting out both the moral and commercial case for gender equality.”
The Women in the KSA Workforcereport, offers guidelines to companies in Saudi Arabia on building healthy work environments that can help tap the potential of women in the workplace. The findings of the report were released during a joint forum between Accenture and the Women 20, an official G20 policy recommendation engagement group.
Boosting the inclusion of women in the workforce is a key objective of the Vision 2030 transformation initiative that aims to diversify the kingdom's economy, nurture domestic industries and reduce its reliance on oil. Vision 2030 aims to increase overall female workforce participation to 30 per cent from 22 per cent by 2030.
In Saudi Arabia, a critical starting point for the career advancement of women is at the top
“Ultimately, a positive workplace culture facilitates a shift in the collective corporate mindset – and in turn, enables a resilient economy that is less dependent on oil and more reliant on a young and emerging generation ready to seize the limitless opportunities of the future,” Mr Al-Dhaher said.
Women empowerment is among topics that will be discussed by leaders of the world’s 20 biggest economies when they convene virtually at the G20 summit in Saudi Arabia on November 21 and 22.
An annual World Bank report, Women, Business, and the Law 2020, recognised Saudi Arabia as the top reformer globally last year measured in terms of legal differences in accessing economic opportunities between men and women.
In 2009, only 14 per cent of Saudi women above the age of 15 were employed – most of whom worked in the public sector. In the private sector, Saudi women accounted for 8.5 per cent of Saudi workers in 2009, with the majority of private sector jobs held by men and expatriate workers. Today, Saudi women make up 32 per cent of workers in the private sector, according to Alnahda’s Takafu Study, which focuses on equal opportunity in the private sector.
The Accenture report identified that in the top 10 per cent of most equal organisations in Saudi Arabia, female employees’ sense of ambition and confidence is 23 per cent higher than average.
In the top 10 per cent of most equal organisations in Saudi Arabia, female employees’ sense of ambition and confidence is 23 per cent higher than average, according to Accenture. They are also 62 per cent more likely to advance in their careers to the managerial level or above.
The research also found that the innovation mindset of all employees in equal workplaces in Saudi Arabia is 50 per cent higher than among their peers in other organisations.
One key difference in more equal cultures in the kingdom is the role played by senior leaders.
For example, almost all women currently working in a more equal culture in Saudi Arabia said their leaders take action to get more women into senior roles.
That compares with 46 per cent of leaders doing so in an average workplace environment in the kingdom, according to the Accenture study. About 90 per cent of employees in more equal cultures say that a senior leader is actively helping them advance and grow, compared with 41 per cent on average, and just 17 per cent in less equal cultures.
It also found that women in the kingdom are more likely to thrive in larger multinational organisations. Nine in 10 women in large organisations said they “love their job” compared to 78 per cent of their peers working elsewhere; 88 per cent (vs 50 per cent) expect to stay with their employer over the next 12 months.
Accenture surveyed more than 70,000 professionals worldwide over the past three years to identify the factors that shape women advancing and thriving in the workplace. The report also builds on Alnahda’s Takafu study.
“The launch of the Takafu initiative coincided with the announcement of a series of regulatory reforms that simultaneously removed structural biases and instituted safeguards to protect women and promote their advancement, such as enforcement of equal wages and introduction of the anti-harassment law,” said Jawaher Al Sudairy, director of Alnahda Centre for Research.
“Hence, the challenge today is less about legal barriers and more about addressing practices and encouraging a work culture underpinned by equal opportunity,” she added.
The report identified five cultural actions that companies in Saudi Arabia can adopt to drive progress toward an equal culture. These include elevating female leaders in the corporate world, safeguarding against discrimination and harassment, offering greater workday flexibility, enhancing parental leave and investing in targeted training.
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
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Bookshops: A Reader's History by Jorge Carrión (translated from the Spanish by Peter Bush),
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TWISTERS
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
