ESP-4678

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2026-03-31

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Vol. 11 No. 3 (2026): Publishing

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Copyright (c) 2026 Abrar Alhomaid, Wided Ragmoun, Razan Alrawaf, Hazem Ahmed Khairy, Bassam Samir Al-Romeedy

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How to Cite

Abrar Alhomaid, Wided Ragmoun, Razan Alrawaf, Hazem Ahmed Khairy, & Bassam Samir Al-Romeedy. (2026). The Role of Saudi Women in Advancing Cultural Sustainability and Sustainable Development. Environment and Social Psychology, 11(3), ESP-4678. https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v11i3.4678

The Role of Saudi Women in Advancing Cultural Sustainability and Sustainable Development

Abrar Alhomaid

Department of Business Administration, College of Business and Economics, Qassim University, PO Box: 6640, Buraidah 51452, Saudi Arabia

Wided Ragmoun

Department of Business Administration, College of Business and Economics, Qassim University, PO Box: 6640, Buraidah 51452, Saudi Arabia; Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Economics and Management of Nabeul, University of Carthage, Tunisia

Razan Alrawaf

Department of Business Administration, College of Business and Economics, Qassim University, PO Box: 6640, Buraidah 51452, Saudi Arabia

Hazem Ahmed Khairy

Hotel Management Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, University of Sadat City, Egypt

Bassam Samir Al-Romeedy

Tourism Studies Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, University of Sadat City, Egypt


DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v11i3.4678


Keywords: cultural sustainability; Saudi women; sustainable development; cultural transformation; feminist sustainability framework

Abstract

Situated within the transformative context of Saudi Vision 2030, this qualitative study examines how Saudi women perceive and enact their role in advancing cultural sustainability and multidimensional sustainable development. Drawing on a phenomenological approach, the research explores women’s lived experiences of social transformation and their interpretation of empowerment within cultural, economic, and environmental domains. Data were generated through 25 in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted in the Al Qassim region and analyzed using Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenological method supported by Atlas.ti 8. The findings reveal that empowerment is experienced not solely as expanded rights or economic participation, but as a culturally embedded process integrating independence with moral responsibility. Cultural change is perceived as adaptive continuity rather than rupture, with women negotiating expanded opportunities while maintaining core social values. Material independence and professional engagement function as catalysts for broader social and environmental influence, particularly through intergenerational transmission. Environmental consciousness, in turn, is framed as an ethical obligation toward future generations. By demonstrating the interdependence of cultural, economic, social, and environmental sustainability within women’s lived experiences, the study advances theoretical discussions on culturally grounded empowerment and integrative sustainability. It contributes to emerging scholarship in the Gulf region by positioning Saudi women as central agents of adaptive transformation rather than passive beneficiaries of reform. The findings offer policy-relevant insights for strengthening gender-responsive development strategies that align institutional reform with culturally embedded agency.

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