Obstacles Faced by Saudi Working Women in the Private Sector Labor Force: From the Perspective of a Sample of Private Sector Workers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabi

Saudi Arabia is seeking to diversify its oil-based economy due to a decline in revenue (Rubin, 2017b) and since the Kingdom is the primary employer for most of its citizens many of these public sector jobs are being eliminated or cut back (Madhi & Barrientos, 2003). Private sector non-Saudi companies are being encouraged to come to the Kingdom thus bringing employment opportunities to Saudi citizens. However, there is gender employment inequality with Saudi women making up 400,000 (5%) of the 8.5 million private sector Saudi employees as of 2014 (The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency [SAMA], 2015, p. 39).;Through "The King's Vision 2020" the Kingdom's ambitious plan includes the creation of 450,000 new jobs in the private sector by the year 2020 (Stancati & Omran, 2016). Saudi women are actively taking part in the Kingdom's push to educate all citizens and the private sector is an ideal option for them to find employment. There are obstacles women face when seeking employment in the private sector that fueled the creation of three research questions: 1. What factors affected Saudi women in seeking employment in the private sector labor force? 2. What obstacles and limitations do Saudi women face in the private sector labor force? 3. What are the possible solutions from the point view of Saudi working women in the private sector labor force that assists in resolving these obstacles?;The questionnaire created to respond to these questions consisted of 27 questions in a 4-point Likert-scale format. Of the 569 female Academic administrative professionals working at ? 11 private Colleges and Universities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 308 participated. Results of the statistical analysis revealed Saudi women were most concerned with having childcare provided at the workplace, transportation to and from work, and an expansion in fields of specialization in higher education positions such as administrative or supervisory education and training or for new types of positions private sector businesses need to fill.;These results were determined from survey data prior to King Salman's decree that Saudi women will be allowed to drive by June 24, 2018 (CNBC, 2017; National Post, 2017) that will resolve that issue. However, childcare and training or education needed to fill positions are issues the Kingdom and private sector employers must agree to and adhere to Muslim religious (Al-Awaji, 1971 [Shariah]) and cultural / traditions (Alnowaiser, 2010).