RIYADH — There are currently 17,000 Saudi women employees at the industrial cities under the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON) in various regions in the Kingdom, according to Qusay Al-Abdulkarim, spokesman and director of marketing and corporate communications at MODON. “This figure recorded an increase of 120 percent, up from 7,860 employees during the end of 2018,” he said. He affirmed MODON’s endeavor to boost female empowerment in the Kingdom’s industrial sector and to contribute to enhancing the role of women in economic development, in line with the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. “MODON invests in the capabilities of Saudi women by creating an ideal environment that suits their aspirations as an employee or investor in the industrial field, through integration and cooperation with the public and private sectors,” he said. Abdulkarim said that there are 11,750 women employees at 12 industrial cities in the central region while women employees at 14 industrial cities in the western region account for 3,500 whereas the Eastern Region comes in the third place which 1,750 women employees at 10 industrial cities. “The stimulation of women’s investments in the industrial cities is proceeding according to a comprehensive vision aimed at activating the developmental role of women in accordance with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, and that is within the framework of the MODON strategy to empower industry and contribute to increasing local content,” the spokesman said. He noted that the products, services and financing solutions provided in the industrial cities, in cooperation with the public and private sectors, have contributed to increasing the attractiveness of the industrial sector to Saudi women.