Women-Only City To Be Built In Saudi Arabia

There will be “no boys allowed” in a new city in Saudi Arabia. The Gulf Kingdom is planning to build a women-only city in an attempt to foster the rising aspirations of Saudi women within the restrictions of the country’s Sharia law.

RT reports that the new city will provide a modern work environment for women without defying Sharia law. The Saudi Industrial Property Authority (Modon) hopes that the women-only city will help further women’s rights in the country and allow women to peruse their own careers.

The Daily Mail reports that construction on the new city is slated to start next year. The municipality in the Eastern city of Hafuf is currently raising money for the project and expects to bring in more than 500 million riyals (US$133 million). The women-only city will create close to 5,000 jobs for women in Saudi Arabia.

The new project in Hafuf is expected to be just one of many. Modon’s deputy director-general, Saleh Al-Rasheed, said that several other cities are being planned throughout the Gulf Kingdom.

Al-Rasheed said:

“We are now working on a second industrial city for women… We have plans to establish a number of women-only industries in various parts of the kingdom.”

Saudi Sharia law says that a woman’s essential duties should be in the home and forbids her to work a job. But despite the ancient law, more and more women are coming into the workforce. According to the Daily Mail, nearly 15 percent of the workforce in Saudi Arabia is comprised of women.

The Saudi government is also taking steps to liberate women. King Abdullah recently announced that women will be allowed to vote during local elections in 2015. Saudi Arabia also sent it’s first female athletes to the Olympic Games this year.

Do you think a women-only city is a good idea?