RIYADH: Dr. Tariq Alhamad, Saudi Arabia’s deputy minister for international affairs at the ministry of human resources and social development, outlined how reforms under Vision 2030 are helping to remove barriers to women’s participation in economic and social life during the official review of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 5 on Gender Equality.
“Vision 2030 is more than a set of goals,” he said. “It brings government, civil society, and the private sector into shared delivery,” he said at the 2025 UN High-Level Political Forum in New York City on Tuesday.
“We’ve focused not only on policy, but on the support systems women need to participate fully — whether that’s jobs, childcare or reliable transport.
“There’s more to do, but we’ve made real progress, and we’re determined to build on it,” Alhamad said.
He described Vision 2030 as a national framework that aligns closely with the SDGs and provides the basis for long-term reform.
The deputy minister noted that female workforce participation reached 36.3 percent in the first quarter of 2025, up from 19.7 percent in 2018. Initiatives such as Qurrah, which has supported more than 40,000 women with childcare, and Wusool, which has helped more than 300,000 women with transport to and from work, have been key to this shift.
Maternity leave has been extended to 12 weeks with full pay, and close to 1.3 million women are now working freelance.
“Change doesn’t happen in isolation,” Alhamad said. “It needs institutions that can partner, systems that allow for transparency, and frameworks that reflect our national priorities while staying aligned with global standards.”
HRSD has introduced new legal frameworks for volunteering, donations and non-profit work. Alongside the National Center for Non-Profit Sector, the ministry is helping to expand the role of civil society in service delivery and innovation.
Initiatives such as the National Volunteer Portal and the Ehsan platform are making it easier for citizens to participate, while helping institutions track and improve impact.
The ministry is working to contribute to several SDGs, including Gender Equality (SDG 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reduced Inequality (SDG 10), Strong Institutions (SDG 16), and Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17).
Dr. Tariq also spoke about the value of international partnerships, highlighting HRSD’s collaboration with the International Labour Organization and the World Bank, both part of the broader UN system. These relationships, he said, help ensure that national reforms meet international standards while staying rooted in local realities.
“Vision 2030 and the 2030 Agenda were launched the same year. They’re not the same, but they speak to many of the same goals,” he said.
“For us, the SDGs are not abstract. They’re reflected in the way we build institutions, form partnerships, and serve our communities.”
The minister of economy and planning, Faisal Al-Ibrahim, delivered the Kingdom’s address at the UN High-Level Political Forum in New York City.
