Copyright Kris Krüg/Flickr

In a meeting of the Society of Petroleum Engineers in Saudi Arabia yesterday (12 June 2010), Hayat Sindi, one of the most celebrated Arab women scientists, addressed the audience by stressing the important role that women can play in science in the Kingdom.

Their success, however, will be determined by support from men, she added.

Lately, women in Saudi Arabia have shown an increased interest in pursuing higher education, and science-related majors are especially attractive. Because of this fast-growing interest, according to Freedom House, today, 40% of doctors in hospitals in Saudi Arabia with a Saudi citizenship are actually women.

But as Sindi pointed out in her speech, the women need support from their brothers, fathers, and the society in order to excel and reach their true potential. The problem is, will that support be readily available?

Sindi says she is was lucky enough to find that support. Arab News quotes her saying “When I was leaving for Britain to pursue my higher studies, my father told me, ‘Don’t let me down’. He died four months ago, and I hope I made him proud.”

Unfortunately, not all male counterparts in the Kingdom are so supporting. Even if they start accepting university level education and post-graduate studies for the women, sometimes they want it to end there. They see no reason for them to go out into the marketplace and make use of the traits learned. This is not just backed up by men in the society, but several women have also vocally taken this point of view, citing that there is no reason to encourage women in the Kingdom to leave their homes.

If there is one thing worse than the lack of good education, it is good, expensive education that is then not utilized.

Women who choose to study abroad can apply for scholarships provided by the government which will cover all their living and educational expenses, as well as provide school fees for any children they have and financial support for an accompanying spouse. Make no mistake, this can get expensive.

So it is really sad when all that money goes to waste by preventing women from working when they come back home. Even when they are not prevented, they are discouraged from doing so by laws of the country, such as preventing women from driving. This, for example, makes it hard to commute everyday to a workplace.

Sindi is an inspirational story. She went out and worked hard for nearly two decades to become a renowned scientist. “My pursuit of education led me on a journey through King’s College University, Cambridge University, Oxford University, Harvard and MIT,” she said.

Today, she is proud to be the first Arab woman to receive a Ph.D in biotechnology from Cambridge University. " “This achievement, as well as many others, was the result of my continuous pursuit of knowledge and the participation in many research projects undertaken in numerous countries."

The problem is that many women, even if they chose to, would not be able to lead such a life. They would be strongly discouraged by their families.

Women in Saudi Arabia are become more articulate and educated. They are surely poised to play a prominent role in the development of their country. But Sindi is right, their success will be determined by the support of men within society.

And that is the core issue that needs to be addressed to bring women to their full potential.