Saudi Arabia has initiated a programme to enable its female citizens to get engaged in the male-dominated fishing industry for the first time.
As part of the programme, the kingdom has started providing training to the first batch of 60 women, reports Gulf News.
Access to the fishing industry for women was restricted in the kingdom, but they are now taking up new jobs as part of reforms in force since 2019.
The 60 women will be trained to fish safely and make money from their catch. They will also be trained on how to sell and market their products.
The training is provided by the National Fisheries Development Programme of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. Mousa Al Kanani, the deputy CEO of the programme, said the initiative aims to train Saudi young men and women to be able to work in the fishing industry.
The programme was launched to achieve sustainable development and increase the contribution of the fisheries and aquaculture sector to the kingdom’s GDP in line with Vision 2030 to diversify the Saudi economy.