Women Thriving

SAUDI WOMEN THRIVING AT SABIC

Just over 10 years ago, several new sectors were made open to women in Saudi Arabia, which increased female participation in the country’s workforce. SABIC took this opportunity to bring in its first cohort of women as direct hire employees at its Riyadh, Jubail, and Yanbu locations. Over the years, these women and others who followed have helped shape SABIC’s evolution and drive its growth in Saudi Arabia and worldwide.

Three women who were part of this first group are now themselves leaders at SABIC, deeply involved in developing SABIC’s talent pipeline: Shatha Al-Shammari (Senior Manager within Human Resources and Chairperson of the SABIC Young Leadership Council), Sita Al-Sumair (Education Programs Senior Manager at SABIC Learning), and Lama Al-Fraih (Senior Manager at SABIC’s Data Quality Center). In many ways, their efforts at building careers at the company exemplify SABIC’s leadership motto, Be the Impact. Al-Shammari says: “The first day on the job, I did not know what to expect, but I know now that the experience has surpassed all our expectations and we grew into creating our own path.” Al-Sumair, too, notes, how she has “come a long way in the last decade through a combination of perseverance and empowerment.”

In talking about their journeys, Al-Shammari, Al-Sumair, and Al-Fraih all acknowledge the adjustments they had to make in accommodating issues like work-life balance and navigating professional fields. They also recognize the new ground SABIC leaders had to traverse in enacting change. “I celebrated this 10-year career milestone filled with a deep sense of accomplishment and gratitude. Nonetheless, I am reminded of the numerous challenges I have faced,” says Al-Fraih, “challenges that were overcome through resilience, adaptability, and embracing opportunities for growth, but most importantly for me was the guidance and support of exceptional leaders, who created an environment that encouraged us to dream big and push boundaries.”

And the progress is tangible. “As I look back at the past 10 years,” Al-Shammari says, “I am overwhelmed by the growth of women in terms of numbers, representation, career growth, and much more.” Al-Fraih, notes, too: “Over the years, I have witnessed the company's commitment to women’s career growth, and to Saudi Vision 2030.”

Today, SABIC has many Saudi female leaders making contributions at various levels, spurred on by broader national changes unfolding in Saudi Arabia in line with Saudi Vision 2030. Hiring figures underscore SABIC’s efforts to recruit female employees within Saudi Arabia, in line with the Saudi Vision 2030 goals of increasing the participation of women in the national workforce. Over the last two years, SABIC has hired about 150% more women across Saudi Arabia (compared to 2021).

An important part of this development has been the expansion of our premier talent pipeline for exceptional young Saudis to include women. This year’s intake of 224 students into the SABIC Scholarship Program had an equal number of men and women, bringing the overall active enrolment to 606 (57% male and 43% female). For Al-Sumair, this work with the scholars is especially rewarding: “I am privileged to work with young talents, fostering and empowering them to soar to new heights and to be the impact.” Such investments, along with focused recruitment outreach and efforts to build an equitable and inclusive corporate culture, have resulted in quantifiable increases in gender diversity within corporate roles across all regions globally.

But while proud of these signs of progress, SABIC believes that that there is much more of the story left to be written – both in Saudi Arabia and worldwide. As more women globally have moved into the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields over the past 25 years and into the petrochemicals industry more broadly, SABIC’s international sites have steadily increased their female recruitment. In 2021, SABIC established a bold vision to be the world’s preferred brand for women working in the chemical industry—a place where all women employees can thrive. A key component of this is SABIC’s dynamic global women’s network, SHE, that offers women across SABIC a platform to engage in key initiatives that ultimately help serve business needs.

Having witnessed these developments firsthand, Al-Shammari, Al-Sumair, and Al-Fraih are enthusiastic about the wealth of opportunities for women at SABIC—and the role that women can play in the company’s future. All refer to an idea that resonates deeply with SABIC’s values: inspiration. “I am truly inspired on a daily basis by these women and men who helped make this journey a success,” says Al-Shammari. For Al-Sumair, her journey is a source of energy in her current role as she helps SABIC grow into the future: “I draw from my past to empower the next generation.” And Al-Fraih, too, stresses the importance of creating legacies at SABIC by “paying it forward through empowering and uplifting other women along their own career journeys.”

_{Disclaimer: This abridged interactive version of the SABIC Integrated Annual Report 2023 is based on the original PDF report published on this website. In case of any discrepancy, the original PDF report will prevail.}