On Saudi National Day, women reflect on a changing kingdom

Beyond the Headlines

From the sidelines to the front lines, women in Saudi Arabia are joining the military for the first time in recent history.

In September, photos of these determined women in service uniforms made a splash in media outlets, in the latest display of just how far Saudi women have come since the ban on driving was lifted two years ago and the floodgates of opportunity opened.

Announced in 2016, Vision 2030 aims to transform the kingdom’s social and economic model and open it up to the world. But it was really in 2019 that major and long-awaited changes to guardianship laws took place.

Women were able to take more ownership of their careers, finances, education and marital status.Legal, social and economic reform overcame traditions that had resisted change for many years.

On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher marks Saudi National Day by speaking to the women who were once spectators but have become leaders and trailblazers of social change.