Few media images, such as the recent photos of a smartly uniformed female security officer guiding Umrah pilgrims in Makkah during Ramadan, have captured the remarkable strides Saudi Arabia has made toward women’s empowerment and gender equality since 2016.
Hundreds of female officers are currently stationed in Makkah and Madinah, where they provide cover and oversee worshippers at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, respectively. The fact that their everyday work has become routine is a significant achievement of the Kingdom’s five-year-old Vision 2030.
Six months ago, the 113-strong all-female batch of military-trained officers stationed at the Prophet’s Mosque was created. It is part of Saudi Arabia’s Special Security Forces’ homeland security forces. Officers operate in four teams of about 18 people around the clock.
According to Major-General Abdul Rahman Al-Mashhan, director of the Madinah Police, their duty is to keep an eye on and assist Umrah pilgrims.
