Women's workplace transitions in saudi arabia following the driving reform: An ordered logit analysis
- 1Department of Social Work, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- 2Transport Research Institute, School of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Abstract
Background: The removal of the driving ban for women in Saudi Arabia in 2018 represented a landmark socio-economic reform under Vision 2030, with important implications for women’s mobility and career trajectories. However, limited empirical evidence exists on the relationship between this reform and women’s employment-related mobility, particularly workplace transitions, using applied modelling approaches and multi-level analytical frameworks. Aim: This study applies an ordered logit modelling approach to examine the association between women’s driving rights and employment-related mobility, specifically assessing the likelihood of workplace transitions among Saudi women. The analysis is structured using the Social Ecological Model (SEM) to capture the multi-level factors shaping women's mobility and workplace transitions. Methodology: This quantitative survey study utilised primary data collected from 890 Saudi women across diverse regions, socioeconomic groups, and employment categories. Official secondary data from national statistical and policy sources were used to contextualise and interpret the findings at the institutional and policy levels rather than being directly incorporated into the econometric model. Descriptive statistics, including means, standard deviations, and cross-tabulations, were used to characterise patterns of workplace mobility. An ordered logit model was then employed to estimate the likelihood of workplace transitions. The final model identified licence ownership, age, income, and marital status as significant predictors. Results: Possessing a driver's licence was positively associated with workplace transitions and more than doubled the odds of employment-related mobility (β = 0.80, OR = 2.23, 95% CI: 1.66–2.99, p < 0.001). Younger age and higher income were associated with a greater likelihood of workplace transitions, whereas married women reported lower levels of employment-related mobility. At the policy level, women widely perceived Vision 2030 reforms as facilitating greater autonomy, empowerment, and workplace mobility. Conclusions: The findings suggest that driving access is positively associated with greater workplace mobility and labour market flexibility among Saudi women. However, these associations vary across age groups, marital status, and income levels. By focusing on workplace transitions rather than labour market entry, this study provides an applied modelling framework for examining how mobility reforms relate to employment-related mobility and career opportunities, offering transferable insights for other socio-economic contexts undergoing gender and mobility transformations.
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BibTeX
@article{alturif2026womens,
title = {{Women's workplace transitions in saudi arabia following the driving reform: An ordered logit analysis}},
author = {Ghada Alturif and Wafaa Saleh},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0354251},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0354251},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Women's workplace transitions in saudi arabia following the driving reform: An ordered logit analysis
AU - Ghada Alturif
AU - Wafaa Saleh
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/31
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0354251
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0354251
AB - Background: The removal of the driving ban for women in Saudi Arabia in 2018 represented a landmark socio-economic reform under Vision 2030, with important implications for women’s mobility and career trajectories. However, limited empirical evidence exists on the relationship between this reform and women’s employment-related mobility, particularly workplace transitions, using applied modelling approaches and multi-level analytical frameworks. Aim: This study applies an ordered logit modelling approach to examine the association between women’s driving rights and employment-related mobility, specifically assessing the likelihood of workplace transitions among Saudi women. The analysis is structured using the Social Ecological Model (SEM) to capture the multi-level factors shaping women's mobility and workplace transitions. Methodology: This quantitative survey study utilised primary data collected from 890 Saudi women across diverse regions, socioeconomic groups, and employment categories. Official secondary data from national statistical and policy sources were used to contextualise and interpret the findings at the institutional and policy levels rather than being directly incorporated into the econometric model. Descriptive statistics, including means, standard deviations, and cross-tabulations, were used to characterise patterns of workplace mobility. An ordered logit model was then employed to estimate the likelihood of workplace transitions. The final model identified licence ownership, age, income, and marital status as significant predictors. Results: Possessing a driver's licence was positively associated with workplace transitions and more than doubled the odds of employment-related mobility (β = 0.80, OR = 2.23, 95% CI: 1.66–2.99, p < 0.001). Younger age and higher income were associated with a greater likelihood of workplace transitions, whereas married women reported lower levels of employment-related mobility. At the policy level, women widely perceived Vision 2030 reforms as facilitating greater autonomy, empowerment, and workplace mobility. Conclusions: The findings suggest that driving access is positively associated with greater workplace mobility and labour market flexibility among Saudi women. However, these associations vary across age groups, marital status, and income levels. By focusing on workplace transitions rather than labour market entry, this study provides an applied modelling framework for examining how mobility reforms relate to employment-related mobility and career opportunities, offering transferable insights for other socio-economic contexts undergoing gender and mobility transformations.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -