Mashayekhi، AzadehAlshehri, Hanin2026-01-052025Alshehri, H. (2025) Women’s empowerment in Saudi Arabia under Vision 2030: Pathways and barriers to gender equality. MSc Dissertation. London: University College London, Development Planning Unit.https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14154/77795This dissertation examines women’s empowerment in Saudi Arabia under Vision 2030, analysing both the pathways created by recent reforms and the structural, legal, and cultural barriers that continue to constrain gender equality. The analysis situates Vision 2030 within Saudi Arabia’s historical, religious, and socio-political context, highlighting the tension between economic-driven inclusion and deeper transformations in gender relations.This dissertation focuses on women’s empowerment and gender equality in Saudi Arabia within the framework of Vision 2030. It examines state-led development reforms, legal and institutional change, women’s labour force participation, and the social, cultural, and political dimensions shaping women’s lived experiences. The study draws on gender and development theory, the Capability Approach, and Islamic feminist perspectives to analyse both pathways to empowerment and the persistent structural barriers that limit substantive gender equality.41enWomen’s empowermentSaudi ArabiaVision 2030Gender and developmentGender equalityState-led reformsSocial and economic developmentSaudi womenThesis