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International Women's Day 2016: Lower pay and long hours were some of the main gripes among female employees
Gulf Arab women are more likely to opt for a career in the banking and finance sectors, while tourism and hospitality were given the thumbs down, according to the results of a survey carried out to mark International Women's Day on March 8.
In Saudi Arabia, 57 percent of women said they would prefer to work in banking and finance, according to the GCC Employment Reports 2016, which was carried out by the consultancy firm Oxford Strategic Consulting.
The findings were mirrored in other neighbouring Gulf states, with 43 percent of Omani women, 33 percent of Qatari women and 29 percent of Emirati women showed the same preference.
However, the report found Gulf women held a negative impression of working in the tourism and hospitality industry.
Women in the conservative kingdom of Saudi Arabia were six times less likely than males to want to work in such sectors. Omani women were of the same opinion, while 29 percent of Emirati females and 15 percent of Qatari females ranked tourism and hospitality as their least favourite sectors to work.
The survey showed that regardless of individual sectors, women were more likely than men to find difficulty in sourcing and applying for jobs.
Saudi women also complained of being offered lower pay than their male counterparts, while Omani women were most concerned about long working hours demanded of employers.
The survey results were compiled as part of the GCC Employment Reports 2016, which were carried out in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and the UAE between September and October 2015 and questioned an average of 150 women in each country.
(Writing by Shane McGinley)
© Zawya 2016