Saudi Arabia appoints first female head of stock exchange

Saudi Arabia has for the first time appointed a woman to head the Kingdom's stock exchange, amid a nationwide drive to gradually empower women in the ultra-conservative state.

Sarah al-Suhaimi, who became the first-ever female CEO of National Commercial Bank [NCB] in 2014, will replace Khalid al-Rabiah as the head of the Saudi stock exchange [Tawadul].

Al-Suhaimi is one of a small number of women who hold top job's in the country's finance sector.

As part of Saudi Arabia's Vision2030 economic tranformation plan, female participation in the national workforce is aimed to increase from 22 percent to 30 percent.

Al-Suhaimi's appointment comes as the English-language Saudi Gazette also announced that it will be headed by female journalist Somayya Jabarti.

Jabarti will become the first-ever woman to hold the post the position as editor-in-chief at a Saudi daily newspaper.

At present, women in Saudi Arabia are not permitted to marry, travel, or open a bank account without the express permission of a male guardian, and they are often unable to access healthcare without male consent.