Prior to entering Saudi Arabia, I had a different idea in my mind's eye of what the women would be like. I assumed they had very different and restricted lives from what I was used to at home. I am happy to admit that I was wrong in this aspect.

On day one, we met two amazing Saudi women through the King Faisal panel discussions. Huda Al Helaissi was the first guest and she was a member of the Shura council as well. The Shura council is a policy making entity within the Kingdom that makes suggestions to the government. She was an older woman and it was interesting to hear her perspective on all the changes that were taking place culturally and socially within the Kingdom. She noted that many more women were engaging on social media within the Kingdom. As well, many companies are now looking at women as a source of wealth in the workplace. However, she is from the older generation and she mentioned that not all Saudi’s think the same way she does. There are still traditional mentalities at work that do not believe women should be driving, working outside of the home, and on the internet interacting with various peoples. However, she did note that perspectives were changing by the day and as with any society, there is going to be a time of uncertainty before a majority acceptance.

Our next panel guest was Khlood Al Dukheil. She is an incredible woman with an inspiring story. Khlood was from a very progressive family and this allowed her to have more opportunities than many other women. Her family encouraged her to pursue education and to be independent. She went on to become a financial pioneer, excelling in her career at every turn. Khlood has done everything from handle hundreds of millions of dollars in transactions to working alongside the King and even establishing several banks. Beyond that, she has also been a wife and is a mother. She embodies both what a traditional and a modern Saudi woman can be. Khlood was very open about being a woman and coming up in the financial sector. She found that she met little resistance due to the fact that she was not raised in the traditional Saudi household. However, this did not blind her to the fact that other women were experiencing prejudice. Several years ago, she began reaching out to companies and asking “Why are there no women around your conference tables?”. Khlood was forcing companies to come to terms with the fact that qualified women were being overlooked due to their gender. Now, many companies are required to hire a certain percentage of women. More conference tables have a female perspective present due to her work, it’s amazing that by simply pushing the subject she was able to make such progress. There have been over a thousand advisory assignments since she began her campaign and more business models are trying to adapt to conform to the new standard. Khlood has paved the way for many more women to come after her and make their mark on the Kingdom.

These two women had a huge impact on my perception of Saudi women, but we also met many others that were stepping outside of tradition and forging their own paths. The two women presenters at NCB bank were amazing to hear from. They knew so much about the business itself and how the current business model was benefiting the community and not just the bank. Not to mention, our Gateway KSA leaders have shown us how strong and independent women can be in Saudi Arabia. They have led us through the streets of various cities and haggled with shop owners. I also don’t know many women that could handle a group of twelve college students who are all very excited to be in a new country and explore all the sites.

Women in Saudi Arabia are doing amazing things. The women here are quickly becoming a large and important contributing member of society and business. I love seeing the growth and development that they have been able to accomplish in so many areas of society that were previously closed to them. I am more excited to see what they will accomplish in the future as more and more opportunities are made available. I am thankful to have gained this perspective while being here and to have met such wonderful, visionary women. I hope to emulate some of these women in my own career and life.

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Hi! My name is Olivia, I’m from the United States and I attend a small women’s college in South Carolina where I study Political Science and foreign affairs. My family is from Jordan, so I’ve always had an interest and connection to the Middle Eastern region. I was so excited to receive the opportunity to visit the Kingdom through the Gateway KSA program. I found the history to be so rich and the people to be so hospitable towards me throughout every region we visited. I think there is a lot to learn and understand from the culture here. I would recommend anyone who receives the chance to accept the invitation and enjoy all that the Kingdom has to offer.