Saudi Arabia’s social transformation is changing the gender equality landscape to favor its women.  

Sebastian Sons of the German think tank CARPO observes that conservative rules and regulations are less dominant than in previous years.

Just a few years ago, religious police would harangue women for violating the strict dress code.

Many women now forgo veils and head-coverings in urban centers while non-Muslim tourists are allowed to expose their face. 

Since 2018, Saudi women can legally drive.

Greater autonomy in mobility and personal status are expected. Women above a certain age can obtain passports and travel abroad without needing permission from a male guardian. There are also reforms in civil status/travel documents systems to reduce or remove male guardianship in certain legal contexts. 

While extra-marital relationships are still illegal for locals, foreign couples, including Muslims, can now move in together or stay at hotels without being married.

“In the past we were strictly checking the marital status” of guests, a Riyadh-based hotel reservations manager who gave his name as Al Waleed told Agence France-Presse. “Now we don’t care about who stays with whom.”

In major cities, after decades of gender separation, young Saudis can now mingle freely in public spaces. 

Saudi Arabia has made significant progress on several gender equality targets under Vision 2030. One of the targets already fully met is the 30 percent participation of women in the labor force as they comprise 36 percent of the workforce since last year. 

Female unemployment dropped nearly 12 percent in the last quarter of 2024, according to Al Arabiya.

More women are employed in private sector roles and leadership roles as well. Vision 2030 also aims for leadership parity, full legal equality, and uniform implementation of reforms. More women are entering leadership roles, but the representation in political leadership, board positions and senior management is still lower than parity.

Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia continuously introduce reforms aimed at improving women’s rights.