Female Labor Force Participation in the Middle East and North Africa Region: Regional Trends and the Experience of Saudi Arabia

Sofia Gomez Tamayo, Dana Alrayess, Gael Moraes and Johannes Koettl-Brodmann

No 208985, The Social Policy and Labor Discussion Paper Series from The World Bank

Abstract: Female labor force participation (FLFP) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) remains the lowest globally, averaging just 19% in 2023 compared to a global average of 48%. Persistent gender unequal social norms, disproportionate unpaid care responsibilities, restrictive legal frameworks, skills mismatches, and limited access to supportive infrastructure continue to suppress women’s economic engagement. This paper examines the structural drivers behind these longstanding gaps and highlights the region’s heterogeneity in barriers, outcomes, and reform trajectories. Drawing on data from international and national statistical sources, the paper highlights Saudi Arabia as a case of rapid transformation. Between 2017 and 2023, female labor force participation more than doubled following sweeping legal reforms, deployment of various supporting active labor market programs, and effective communication initiatives around social norms under Vision 2030. Key drivers include expanded private-sector demand for female labor, sectoral diversification, and the correction of misperceived norms regarding women’s employment. The paper also identifies remaining constraints, including childcare gaps, mobility barriers, and public-private employment preferences and proposes policy recommendations for MENA countries aimed at expanding women’s economic participation through coordinated legal reforms, care-economy investments, flexible work arrangements, labor demand activation, and norm-change interventions.

Date: 2026-03-18
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