Today, women make up 70% of those enrolled in Saudi Arabia's universities yet, in 2006, women accounted for just 5% of the country's workforce, the lowest proportion in the world. But, under King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s leadership, employment prospects have improved, with major reforms passed recently to elevate the status of women in the country. Banking in particular has witnessed some dramatic developments, with several key appointments made in recent months.
In March 2014, NCB Capital, the investment bank belonging to Saudi Arabia’s largest bank, National Commercial Bank (NCB), appointed Sarah Al-Suhaimi as its chief executive and a board member. Ms Al-Suhaimi, the first female CEO at a Saudi investment bank, had spent five years at Samba Financial Group and, in 2007, joined Jadwa Investment, where she was head of asset management and CIO, managing more than SR17bn ($4.5bn) in assets.
