Reforming Gender Laws: The Economic Impact for Women in Saudi Arabia

Frode Martin Nordvik

Journal of Development Studies, 2026, vol. 62, issue 5, 834-854

Abstract: This study quantifies the impact of Saudi Arabia’s legal reforms aimed at reducing gender discrimination on female labour force participation and employment, using a synthetic control for comparison from 2017 to 2021. The reforms yielded a nearly nine percentage point increase in female labour force participation, with over one million Saudi women entering the labour force in just three years. A difference-in-differences analysis using the staggered establishment of driving schools across regions shows an employment increase for both Saudi and migrant women in regions where schools opened. An increase in demand for migrant domestic workers could be a result of Saudi women transitioning from home into the workforce.

Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2025.2590455

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