Saudi Arabia-based Glowork, a movement and website dedicated to creating opportunities for women in the Middle East, was recently crowned corporate leaders in women empowerment by British magazine The New Economy.

This is the first time a Saudi institute wins this award alongside big corporate names such as Goldman Sachs in the US and General Electric in the UAE amongst others.

The magazine had very strict criteria when judging the winners and Glowork was recognised for its efforts in creating opportunities for women in Saudi and innovating solutions tailored for the kingdom’s labour laws, a statement said.

Glowork was launched in June 2011 and has so far created over 6000 opportunities for women in Saudi and recently created a virtual office solution which allows women to work in rural areas.

Khalid Alkhudair, Glowork’s founder said: “It’s not about winning awards; it’s about showcasing the change in Saudi Arabia and the great initiatives that the country has undertaken to involve women equally in the kingdom’s decision making. We are very proud to be winning this award for our sisters and this only inspires us to continue our work and expand our initiatives.”

In April, Glowork will be hosting the “Step Ahead” event for all female graduates in an attempt to bridge the gap between the education sector and labor market. Over 60 organisations are expected to participate and highlight the opportunities available with the likes of SABB, KPMG, Oracle and Nokia amongst others.

“The recent participation of women in the Shoura Council and the municipality elections outlines that the vision for Saudi Arabia in the future has an equal path for women,” Alkhudair added. – TradeArabia News Service