Saudi Arabian women entrepreneurs: Agents of change and value creators

There has been a great deal written and said about the barriers and challenges that Arab women entrepreneurs face. However, studies that attempt to explore and understand the importance of women entrepreneurs as agents of change in Arab society, and how they deliver and support value-creation activities, are noticeably scarce. This chapter, therefore, explores the unique ways in which Saudi Arabian women entrepreneurs create value within a constrained, patriarchal society. By doing this, I am challenging mainstream studies that focus only on obstacles and am instead celebrating Arab women’s agency and acknowledging their success as value creators. The findings demonstrate how Saudi Arabian women are involved in value creation at the societal level, wherein as entrepreneurs, they break through gendered boundaries and patriarchal socio-cultural values to become mentors, role models, and advisors for other women in the society. Hence, I propose that Arab women, even those operating within a dominant masculine patriarchy, have agency and the ability to emancipate themselves and give their entrepreneurial ventures and activities an alternative meaning that is based on value creation and success.