Women's workplace transitions in saudi arabia following the driving reform: An ordered logit analysis

Ghada Alturif and Wafaa Saleh

PLOS ONE, 2026, vol. 21, issue 8, 1-15

Abstract: Background: The removal of the driving ban for women in Saudi Arabia in 2018 represented a landmark socio-economic reform under Vision 2030, with important implications for women’s mobility and career trajectories. However, limited empirical evidence exists on the relationship between this reform and women’s employment-related mobility, particularly workplace transitions, using applied modelling approaches and multi-level analytical frameworks. Aim: This study applies an ordered logit modelling approach to examine the association between women’s driving rights and employment-related mobility, specifically assessing the likelihood of workplace transitions among Saudi women. The analysis is structured using the Social Ecological Model (SEM) to capture the multi-level factors shaping women's mobility and workplace transitions. Methodology: This quantitative survey study utilised primary data collected from 890 Saudi women across diverse regions, socioeconomic groups, and employment categories. Official secondary data from national statistical and policy sources were used to contextualise and interpret the findings at the institutional and policy levels rather than being directly incorporated into the econometric model. Descriptive statistics, including means, standard deviations, and cross-tabulations, were used to characterise patterns of workplace mobility. An ordered logit model was then employed to estimate the likelihood of workplace transitions. The final model identified licence ownership, age, income, and marital status as significant predictors. Results: Possessing a driver's licence was positively associated with workplace transitions and more than doubled the odds of employment-related mobility (β = 0.80, OR = 2.23, 95% CI: 1.66–2.99, p

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0354251

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0354251

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