Servcorp Limited (“Servcorp”), a pioneer and innovator in serviced offices, virtual offices and co-working environments, has announced that the company’s operations in Saudi Arabia’s major cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, and Khobar are staffed by a majority female workforce. According to Servcorp’s most recent employment figures, 60% of its employees in the Kingdom are women, of which the majority are Saudi nationals.
Currently, the company employs three female Floor Managers, in addition to four Team Leaders, Sales Managers, and Virtual Office Managers. Servcorp’s Al Murjanah space is operated by a team of five Saudi women, and four women run the Business Gate space in Riyadh.
Ms. Mariam Mirza, Al Murjanah Floor Manager at Servcorp in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, commented: “By providing Saudi women with the right tools, training, and support, Servcorp is playing a leading role in stimulating the drive towards female entrepreneurship and workplace participation in Saudi Arabia. Having started as a Sales Executive, I have personally worked for Servcorp for over four years, building a successful career and realizing a considerable level of professional growth. This progression has been made possible not only by my personal pursuit of professional goals but by the opportunities that Servcorp provides to dedicated employees who want to see both the company and its clients succeed.”
Training programmes for women include the opportunity for members of management to attend at least one sales training session at the company’s head office in Sydney, Australia, as well as to attend Servcorp’s annual international management meeting. The company believes that this international exposure will catalyze the manager’s commitment to excellence in line with Servcorp’s corporate ethos and values.
Ms. Zeena S. Bishtawi, Jameel Square Floor Manager at Servcorp in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, said: “I’ve worked at Servcorp’s Jameel Square workspace since 2010, where I started as a Personal Assistant. The company operates the Kingdom’s first all-ladies co-working space for female entrepreneurs, where I have been able to develop my skills and my role within the business to reach the position of Floor Manager. We’re proud to have such a strong female contingent within our Saudi workforce, and look forward to presenting future opportunities for women to flourish.”
A long-standing champion of female empowerment, Servcorp introduced the world’s first all-ladies co-working space in Jameel Square in Jeddah. The purpose of this co-working space is to provide ambitious Saudi businesswomen with a space to network, seek advice and mentor small business owners on strategy, revenue management, growth, and expansion. Additionally, Servcorp provides female employees with resources and education through training initiatives that are designed to encourage a higher level of engagement and to hone their skills for further growth into management positions.
Dr. Eyad Reda, Chairman of Servcorp Saudi Arabia, commented: “Saudi Arabia has made strides towards encouraging and facilitating female employment and entrepreneurship. Through strategic partnerships and alliances, the government has put in place new regulations and invested in a range of training initiatives to enhance skill-sets and provide the requisite professional training for Saudi women. Servcorp’s offices in Saudi Arabia are a testament to the efforts being made by private sector companies, who have committed to the undertaking of supporting the Kingdom’s agenda for economic reform. Increased workplace participation and female entrepreneurship will not only improve productivity, but it will stimulate investment and job creation, directly contributing to the country’s long-term vision.”
In recent years, the Saudi government has introduced unprecedented regulatory change to encourage female participation in the labour market. In February, Saudi Arabia announced that women will be able to start their own businesses without requiring the permission of a male guardian, a decree in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which also aims to decrease female unemployment from 11.6% to 7%. The Kingdom aims to increase women’s participation in the workforce from 22% to 30%, a key element of the Vision 2030 agenda. These efforts received a recent boost in the appointment of Dr. Tamader bint Youssef Al Rammah as Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Development – the first Saudi woman to hold a senior position in government.
Servcorp, which is headquartered in Sydney and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: SRV), is a global company employing 850 staff and servicing 35,000 members in 53 cities across 23 countries.