Saudi Gazette

OVER the Past 10 years, the Kingdom has witnessed a dramatic change in the way young women look at education. The percentage of female Saudi students traveling abroad to pursue higher education has increased at surprising speed. The current orientation in society is to motivate women to continue with their academic dreams.

Saudi Gazette sat with three young Saudi ladies to see how they think of women pursuing Master's and doctoral programs.

“From what I have seen around me, I can tell that most of the female Saudi students in our universities seriously plan to go beyond just a bachelor's degree and continue their education,” said Amal, a university student.

Amal added that she herself plans to pursue medical studies in Germany. “I have discussed it with my family, and they are very supportive. They have seen teenage daughters of my relatives doing the same. So they welcomed the idea. I am personally getting ready by working really hard to get the highest GPA possible,” she said.

Noura, another young Saudi lady, shared Amal’s views but from a different angle. “When I graduated from the College of Business Administration, I desperately wanted to pursue my Master's in the UK and my husband agreed. However, having a first baby was a valid reason for both of us to postpone the plan. Because I cannot leave my baby with my family in Riyadh and at the same time I cannot take him with me abroad,” she explained.

"Till now I did not achieve my dream of pursuing higher education in UK. From my experience, I recommend that a female student must fix her own priorities and act accordingly. Because you can get something at the expense of another,” she said.

Tagreed is an employee at a local bank. She dwelt upon the passion of young Saudi women for Master's and PhDs. “In the past, it was very rare to see a lady who even dreams about a doctorate. The orientation of Saudi women was more about finishing university and then either accept a job or get married than going abroad for higher studies. Nowadays, that attitude has significantly changed. Most women put Master's and PhDs on their top priority list. They spend days and nights studying and researching to achieve their goal,” she said.

She continued by revealing that the only reason behind her getting a job right after getting her BA was gaining experience to be eligible to pursue her Master's later on. “I graduated from the College of English Language and Literature, and my dream is to do my Master's in Media and Mass Communication. Many university professors I met with during the three-day exhibition on higher education held in Riyadh recommended that I gain some real experience on-the-job. I followed their advice and I am now working in a media and public relations department,” she said.

“Having a dream and a goal to attain is the motivation one can ever have. I am not in a hurry, I enjoy my job and I enjoy the journey. The journey can take so long that we must enjoy it and be grateful,” Tagreed concluded.