Almost 50% of businesses in Saudi Arabia’s accommodation and food service sector are now owned by women, highlighting a significant shift in female entrepreneurship and economic participation in the country.
According to official figures released by the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises (Monsha’at), 59,800 women-owned businesses operated in the sector in 2024, representing 49.7 per cent of all establishments in this vital and fast-growing segment of the economy, as published by gulfnews.
The report also offered a detailed breakdown of the workforce powering the sector. In 2024, the accommodation and food service industry employed 712,000 workers, including 250,000 in micro enterprises, 258,600 in small enterprises, 115,000 in medium-sized firms, and 88,000 in large companies.
This upward trend in business activity is not limited to the hospitality sector. The Ministry of Commerce reported a 48 per cent increase in commercial registrations during the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year.
Over 154,000 new commercial registrations were issued between January and March, bringing the total number of active registrations across the Kingdom to more than 1.68 million.
