Saudi Arabia is building a city just for women as a solution to strict segregation between the genders imposed under religious laws.
The city is planned for Hofuf, in the east of the country, and is aimed at relieving some of the stress involved around women working in the country.
Sharia law maintains women cannot drive, cannot travel alone with a man other than their husbands, cannot vote or even pray unless the mosque has a special section for women.
The London Olympics were the first that were competed by female Saudi athletes.
Only 15% work – mainly in women-only companies – and many companies insist that their female employees are single.
This figure is balanced with the fact that 60% of the country’s students are women and 78% of women graduates are unemployed.
Although Saudi Arabia is regularly chastised by most of the world for attitudes to womens’ rights, the city is not a sop to politics, but more of a nod to the need to introduce more of the population to work rather than transporting in expensive expats.
The new city should offer around 5,000 factory jobs food processing, pharmaceuticals and textiles, and the infrastructure that supports them, which is destined to add millions to the Saudi economy.
A government spokesman said: “We are sure that women can demonstrate their efficiency in many aspects and clarify the industries that best suit their interests, nature and ability.
“The city for women workers will have an environment and working conditions consistent with the privacy of women according to Islamic guidelines and regulations.”
In fact, the government is so desperate to tap in to the supply of educated, unemployed women, plans are underway for four more women-only enclaves before the foundations are even laid at Hofuf.
Besides an economic necessity, creating jobs for women is also likely to relieve the stress in society.
Recent research disclosed two thirds of Saudi women who worked desire financial independence by taking up a career.
Better education prospects is already leading to unrest as women are gaining qualifications, but have nowhere to work, leading to a large pool of well-educated but under utilised workers who want to contribute to the economy but find the access to jobs closed off by religious laws.
The fear is that setting up women-only industrial centres will trigger changes in Saudi society that might be impossible to retract as more and more women jump on the employment bandwagon and then look for other social opportunities.