There were 10,933 female entrepreneurs registered in Saudi Arabia in 2016, a small proportion compared to the number of Saudi men, according to data from the Central Department of Statistics. In fact, Saudi women accounted for only 17% of the total number of entrepreneurs in the country last year. This is just 0.2% higher than what was recorded in 2015.

There is no doubt that there are many talented Saudi women with the capability to develop successful businesses. The challenge for Saudi women who aspire to become entrepreneurs is that there are only a few women-friendly organizations that provide Business Setup in Saudi support services and funding to those aspiring entrepreneurs.

There are several reasons why Saudi women are less likely to become entrepreneurs. These include: There are very few opportunities for Saudi women in the Kingdom to study business, according to a recent study by the London-based Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM). Most of the courses offered by universities in the Kingdom are aimed at men, not women. Many business schools offer general management programs to students of both genders, but focus heavily on male students, while other schools offer similar programs focused on business to men exclusively. In addition, the Saudi government does not offer scholarships or financial support to women who wish to pursue entrepreneurship, according to the GEM report.