Saudi women barrel into workforce in changing kingdom

A Saudi woman buys makeup from a cosmetic shop in Centria Mall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 22, 2021. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri

UNAIZAH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - Stepping out of a shared taxi in central Riyadh, Reham Al-Ahmed walked into the shopping mall where she works four days a week selling cosmetics.

Al-Ahmed, a high school graduate, is the first woman in her family to have a job. Her parents had never wanted her to work but they eventually relented as life in the capital became too expensive.