Publications

In a landmark decision by Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud on September 26, 2017, a decree was issued allowing Saudi women to drive motor vehicles. In this short paper, we reflect on the possible impact of this decision on future domestic workers’ immigration trends. We also comment on the measure’s possible effects on the labour force participation of Saudi women, in the light of some of the existing socio-demographic characteristics. We conclude that while the decision holds the potential for increasing the work force participation of women, the speed of such participation will be greatly determined by the related social and cultural changes within the family and society.