Women in Leadership Across the GCC

Despite meaningful progress worldwide, gender equality in leadership remains a long journey. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025, the world has closed 68.8% of the global gender gap, a marginal improvement from 68.4% in 2024. At the current pace, achieving full global gender parity could take 123 years.

The gap becomes even more visible in leadership. While women represent over 41% of the global workforce, they hold only 28.8% of top leadership roles worldwide. Economic participation remains another major challenge, with projections suggesting it could take 135 years to fully close the economic gender gap.

Against this global backdrop, the progress seen across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region stands out as both significant and encouraging.

Over the past decade, the GCC has witnessed a notable transformation in women’s participation in the workforce and leadership roles. What was once limited representation is steadily evolving into greater visibility in boardrooms, executive positions, government institutions, and entrepreneurial ecosystems. This shift reflects progressive policy reforms as well as the region’s broader vision to build diverse, future-ready economies.

Education has been a strong foundation for this change. Across the Middle East, women now outnumber men in university education, with female university enrollment reaching around 43% by 2019. In the United Arab Emirates, women represent more than 70% of university graduates and account for approximately 46% of the labor force, creating a powerful pipeline of skilled professionals entering the workforce.

Government initiatives have also played a significant role in accelerating women’s leadership participation. The UAE’s gender balance agenda has resulted in 50% representation of women in the Federal National Council and approximately 27% of ministerial roles held by women. In Saudi Arabia, reforms aligned with Vision 2030 have driven significant progress, with female workforce participation rising to around 37% by 2023, surpassing the original target of 30%.

Across the GCC, women are also contributing to business leadership and entrepreneurship. In the UAE, about 6.7% of CEO roles are held by women. In Qatar, women represent roughly 58% of the workforce, with around 15% owning private businesses. Meanwhile, Oman reports women representing nearly 46% of its employed workforce, reflecting a broader shift toward inclusive economic participation.

While global statistics remind us that the journey toward gender equality is far from complete, the momentum building across the GCC tells a powerful story. With continued policy support, economic diversification, and expanding opportunities in sectors such as technology, AI, and digital transformation, female labor force participation in the region is projected to reach 40–45% by 2030.

At Adecco, we believe diverse leadership creates stronger organizations and more resilient economies. Supporting gender inclusion is part of our commitment to building equitable workplaces where talent can thrive. Women hold several leadership and executive roles across Adecco’s global organization, contributing to strategic decisions, innovation, and workforce transformation. Through our recruitment expertise and HR solutions, we also work closely with organizations across the GCC to support inclusive hiring practices and create opportunities for more women to step into leadership roles.

As the GCC continues to advance its economic and social transformation agendas, women will remain a powerful force shaping the region’s future workforce and leadership landscape.

Sources: LinkedIn, KPMG, People Matters Global, Computer Weekly, Stimson Center, World Economic Forum.