PwC Academy Middle East and Women Choice launch pioneering accelerator program for mid-career Saudi Women

This article has been originally published in ZAWYA.

20 May 2024: PwC Middle East commits to delivering four workshops focused on upskilling mid-career Saudi women as part of its accelerator program

In a significant move to empower Saudi women, Women Choice and PwC Academy Middle East proudly launched an innovative accelerator program specifically designed for mid-career Saudi women. It kicked off with a successful pilot event last month in Riyadh, marking the beginning of a series of workshops that welcomes 25 women per session from diverse industries. Equipping Saudi women with leadership skills and business acumen, further contributing to the Vision 2030 goal of increasing female participation in the workforce. The first session covered the fundamentals of business development, touching upon best practices and case studies on how to build effective and long-lasting relationships with clients.

“The role of ‘Women at Work’ has evolved, and globally leaders recognise that boosting women’s’ workforce participation at work is not just a moral imperative, but also has a significant measurable impact on the sustained performance of the organisation. At PwC, we are deeply committed to supporting the economic and societal growth across the region and our collaboration with Women Choice further reinforces this commitment. We are excited to see the difference this makes to the next-gen women leaders of Saudi Arabia.” said Samar Sayegh, PwC Partner and PwC’s Academy Middle East Leader.

“We are honoured to be partnering with a renowned organisation such as PwC which has been constantly supporting projects that help women grow their careers or entrepreneurial projects. With this accelerator program, we are joining forces between the PwC and Women Choice teams in order to bring even more impacting results for women across industries and segments in Saudi.  The first event was a full house with a lot of positive feedback from attendees; so, we look forward to the next sessions and to continue this beautiful journey in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” said Nezha Alaoui, Founder & CEO of Women Choice.

PwC Middle East continues its commitment to empower women through this collaboration, building on its extensive history of supporting women’s career growth with digital tools, training, mentorships, and networking opportunities. This initiative is part of a broader collaboration with PwC Academy Middle East and the Corporate Sustainability team, aiming to integrate sustainable practices with professional development. In Saudi Arabia, women’s workforce participation has more than doubled from 17.4% in 2017 to 36% in 2023, surpassing the targets set for 2030.