JEDDAH — The industry landscape in Saudi Arabia has dramatically changed for Saudi women looking to enter male-dominated fields, a change that Zahid Group has wholeheartedly encouraged. As one of the goals of Vision 2030 is to accelerate women’s representation in the labor market and leadership positions, it is important to make gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workforce a reality. As part of Zahid Group"s commitment to achieving the Kingdom’s Vision2030, the group has focused on developing the careers of Saudi citizens in all of the group companies at all levels. Being one of the leaders on this initiative, Arabian Vehicles & Trucks Industry Co., Ltd (AVI) in the Kingdom within a state-of-the-art facility in King Abdullah Economic City has been operating as a joint venture between Zahid Group and Volvo Trucks Corporation since 1998. It is the only assembly plant in the world that assembles the three brands of Volvo, Renault, and UD Trucks on one production line. To perform this assembly AVI has been able to attract and develop, with aggressive recruiting and meticulous on-job training, skilling Saudi nationals looking to build tangible products as well as their careers by achieving new heights. Proud male and female Saudis are part of the well-trained workforce at AVI. There are many females today who work on the production line; helping assemble the trucks that meet the needs of the Kingdom’s demanding transportation sector. “I am excited to come to work every day and work in a safe and friendly environment with the support of supervisors who are always there to encourage and motivate us” says Bashayir, a maintenance coordinator at the plant. Abdulrhman Bahaziq, the production and HR manager at the plant praised the female employees for their capability and commitment in fulfilling their roles. “Being a part of the process has made me appreciate all the hard work and detail that goes into building the trucks. I feel proud to be building a truck that would transport food and fruits to the supermarkets I regularly shop at” says one of the female employees at the plant. In an effort to adhere to global best practices while simultaneously increasing its proficient workforce, AVI provides extensive training in line with Volvo’s stringent quality standards. The AVI plant has subsequently received a Gold level recognition from Volvo, thus becoming one of the top Volvo plants in the world. The team at AVI and Zahid Group have always pushed for empowering their female workforce, thereby solidifying the new era of inspiring Saudi women to continue growing their skillset. Continuing the journey that started in 2004 in diversifying its work environment that is naturally aligning with the new era of inspiring Saudi women to continue growing their competencies and their contribution to the local economy and society.