Female Saudi Construction Workers: We Want to Benefit Saudi Society

On October 25, 2019, Saudi Arabia’s MBC TV aired a report about female construction workers. The report tells the story of three Saudi sisters who work in construction. According to the sisters they initially faced many obstacles from society but have now surmounted them and have become successful. They expressed a hope that this enterprise will be a benefit to Saudi society.

Reporter: This is an unusual scene: Three Saudi girls working in construction. With soft fingers, they paved their way to success by adding a purely feminine touch to the world of construction.

Mariam Al-Kathiri: We, the three sisters, got this idea from our parents. I hope this benefits Saudi society, since we are the first Saudi women to work at this job. I hope to leave my mark on Saudi Arabia.

Reporter: The girls’ work is distinguished by their stability and accuracy. With their professional hands they perform most construction and finishing work, such as design, painting, and electrical work.

Ruba Al-Kathiri: In the beginning, the number of customers was limited. The work itself was limited, so we worked on private homes. We expanded. We were good at working with plaster boards, ceilings, and walls and then we started to get commissions from shop owners. It has been difficult for society to accept us. No one was willing to accept girls who fix ceilings and work hard. We were only accepted by those who saw our work, our creativity. Those who saw our work began to trust and believe in us. We succeeded. Praise be to Allah.

Maha Al-Kathiri: We were resolute from the start. We learned from the Internet and took online lessons and courses. We specialize in plaster boards, ceilings, and walls. Unfortunately, nobody wanted to work with us, which made it difficult. In the end, we managed to overcome this obstacle and today we excel in our construction work.

Reporter: A feminine touch in the hard job of construction shattered the conventions in the labor market and confirmed the ability of the girls of the homeland to climb the ladder of success and excellence in all types of jobs.