DUBAI: Through wide-ranging interviews and biographies in a new research book, French communications specialist and entrepreneur Caroline Carpentier finds that Saudi women are “at the core” of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 evolution. Carpentier, who has spent more than 20 years in the region, shared her experiences in the Kingdom with Arab News en Francais. Her soon-to-be-published book contains a series of interviews with Saudi women and came to be after she saw the impressive transformation the Kingdom is undergoing, spearheaded by King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. After years spent in the Gulf, the director of 4C (Caroline Carpentier Consulting and Communication) can spot the enthusiasm of Saudi youth, who are expressing themselves by taking part in the Kingdom’s transformation. “What impressed me the most was the social side of life in Saudi Arabia and the relationship with the Saudi population compared with other Gulf countries such as the UAE or Qatar, where there are more expatriates,” said Carpentier. The author recounted her time in the Kingdom after a recent visit and said that those around her “were aware that for a woman, coming to Riyadh alone was perhaps not easy,” adding that she was “pleasantly surprised” by the genuine hospitality of the Saudi people. The series of interviews highlights the evolution of the Kingdom. Carpentier said: “We, in the West — we do not have any idea of what is happening in Saudi Arabia.” The rapid changes motivated her to unearth and better understand the sources of inspiration and women’s vision of their role in society. “The burgeoning volume of qualifications and skills in different fields of study and sectors prepares young people to get into a vast labor market,” said Carpentier, stressing that “the most striking societal evolution in the Kingdom is the reinforced role of women, and in particular in recent years.” The women “were already in the movement, contributing to the development,” but “now there has been a real acceleration,” she added. Carpentier underscored that this development is inspired by political will, driven by King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to recognize the role of women and what they can achieve in all professions and projects. The number of women in institutions and companies has grown gradually since the early 2000s, and increasingly, well-trained women are ready to take up more positions. These women interest Carpentier, and she dedicates a gallery of portraits with narrative biographies based on interviews. These biographies navigate the stories, challenges and achievements of Saudi women. In the Kingdom, statistics indicate that as of 2019, 55.8 percent of university graduates are women — a figure that does not seem to surprise Carpentier, who attributed this success to “motivation.” She said that young women graduates “are above all, motivated, which leads them to succeed brilliantly in their studies.” She noted that young Saudi women now are majoring in fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, with the opportunity to work in sectors that were, for some time, traditionally male-dominated fields. Carpentier believes that Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 “emanates from a desire to empower the people, while providing them with the necessary tools to embark on professional and personal projects,” which can only lead to “the adhesion of the population, especially that in the last few years, a real middle class has surfaced in Saudi Arabia, which brought a change in mentality on one hand, and a new way to structure society on the other.” The openness witnessed in various sectors within Vision 2030’s framework is accompanied by massive investments in several areas, including tourism. For Carpentier, who founded a tourism company in Saudi Arabia more than 20 years ago, “the foundations of the groundwork had already been laid in the early 2000s. It is a quinquennial plan developed to promote local tourism.” The situation today is of another dimension, with the appearance of cultural sites, museums, artist residencies and major tourism development projects such as AlUla, notes the author, adding that “the strengthening of cultural and commercial partnerships between France and Saudi Arabia benefits the tourism sector” and allows for better development. Carpentier cites the French Agency for Alula Development, “which gives the Kingdom the opportunity to rely on external expertise, especially that of countries such as France,” the world’s leading tourist destination.