Asharqia Chamber, represented by the Women Empowerment Center and in cooperation with the Social Development Bank, concluded the “Your First Steps to Start Your Project” program under the “Readiyat” Initiative, in the presence of Chamber Board member Aghareed bint Ihsan Abduljawad, and Social Finance Manager at the Bank, Fawziah Al-Qahtani.
The program aims to contribute to developing and enhancing the personal entrepreneurial capabilities and competencies of male and female entrepreneurs over five days. It included a number of training themes that focused on developing the skills needed to start projects, promoting the culture of self-employment, and transforming ideas into projects capable of growth and sustainability.
Board member Aghareed Abduljawad honored the participants in the program, and certificates of completion were presented to 40 female trainees who completed 20 training hours over five days. She indicated that the program aims to deepen the concept of self-employment, develop business sense among young Saudi women, identify the qualities and characteristics of female investors, qualify them for investment, acquire the basic skills needed to identify investment ideas, and provide guidance services and follow-up to ensure the proper implementation of projects.
During the closing ceremony, held on Thursday, May 7, 2026, Abduljawad said: “Today, we proudly stand before the remarkable record of Saudi women’s achievements, which would not have been possible without Allah’s grace and then the continuous care and empowerment of our wise leadership, may Allah support it. The leadership has placed women at the heart of national transformation and made them a key pillar of Vision 2030. This attention has been translated into tangible reality through decisions and directions that have opened the doors of economic participation wide for women. According to the Vision 2030 Annual Report 2025, women’s participation in the labor market has risen to 35%, coming very close to the final target of 36.6%.”
“In recognition of this vital and growing role of Saudi women, Asharqia Chamber continues its ongoing journey to support the objectives of the Vision through strategic projects that focus on building human capabilities and stimulating emerging entrepreneurship. The ‘Readiyat’ Initiative, in partnership with the Social Development Bank, comes as a leading model for enhancing women’s economic presence and qualifying them to enter the labor market with confidence and professionalism.”
She affirmed that the fourth edition of the “Readiyat” Initiative is the result of accumulated experience and previous successes, and essentially aims to refine the competencies of female entrepreneurs so that they become active partners in driving the national economy.
For her part, Social Finance Manager at the Social Development Bank, Fawziah bint Ahmed Al-Qahtani, said that since its establishment in 1971, the Bank has played a pivotal role in supporting national objectives for sustainable development, in line with Saudi Vision 2030, by focusing on financial inclusion, equal opportunities, supporting innovation, and promoting economic growth and social welfare.
“Believing at the Bank that the success of projects is not limited to financial support alone, we have been keen to launch non-financial programs and services concerned with building capabilities, enhancing potential, and meeting the needs of male and female entrepreneurs. These services include a package of training programs, consultations, and guidance, starting from raising awareness of the importance of self-employment and shaping ideas, all the way to establishment, operation, and continuous support to ensure sustainability and growth. Based on this direction, the Readiyat Initiative was launched, which we are keen to continue, to serve as an effective platform for empowering women and enhancing their role in entrepreneurship.”