Princess Mashael Pushes for Women's Leadership in Saudi Energy

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Friday, 16 October 2026

Saudi Arabia is seeking to expand women’s influence in the energy sector as more women pursue studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), Princess Mashael Al-Shalan told Arab News.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 25th WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh, Princess Mashael, co-founder of AEON Collective and the Women and Energy Association, highlighted the gap between women’s strong presence in STEM education and their representation in the energy workforce. She said women account for more than half of STEM students in the Kingdom, but this progress has not yet translated into proportional workforce participation.

She also praised the Ministry of Energy for advancing women’s inclusion across the industry. Princess Mashael noted that the ministry and its affiliated institutions have already achieved the national goal of 30% female representation.

 “I think for the longest time, women were filling every single space and domain, giving feedback across them. But the formality of jobs was a little bit limited, primarily within the energy sector,” she said.

Key Highlights:

• Women exceed 50% of Saudi Arabia’s STEM students but remain underrepresented in energy
• The association promotes women’s leadership and career development
• A new research unit will address barriers to women’s participation

Progress has not been consistent across the wider energy ecosystem, particularly in the private and semi-private sectors.

“By the way, this is true globally. It’s not a Saudi phenomenon,” she said, adding: “I think that was what made it really important for us to establish the association for women in energy to help bridge that gap wherever it may be.”

The association aims to gain insight into the challenges facing women in the industry and to establish a link between their educational outcomes and career prospects, Princess Mashael said.

She said her estimates of the participation of women in Saudi Arabia's STEM education programs had reached over 50 per cent, but were not matched in proportion in the energy sector.

The association's programs target various levels of the career path, providing valuable connections for emerging researchers to local and global experts, and leadership opportunities for mid-career researchers.

One of these is the Women's Leadership in Energy Diplomacy program, which caters to women who want to pursue careers in energy diplomacy and leadership, where the number of participants is larger than the number of women represented.

“By inception, we never do anything that’s women-led or women-first just for its sake. It has to be a solid program that helps upskill men or women within that particular domain.”

She added that some programs may eventually open to men in response to demand, reflecting an approach centered on professional development rather than empowerment for its own sake.

Looking ahead, Princess Mashael revealed plans to establish a separate research and policy department, aimed at identifying structural barriers through evidence-based research.

“How do we ensure that we’re engaging with policy? How do you do it with an evidence-based approach to policymaking?” she said.

“I don’t want it to be based on the experiences of individuals, or sentiments … but rather on what the system really requires.”

The initiative remains in its early stages, with plans to engage relevant institutions and draw on the association’s existing programs.

“We need to see all of the system, have a 360 vision, not just … fixated on our domains.”

Beyond representation figures, Princess Mashael highlighted the sustained engagement of women who had completed the association’s programs as another measure of progress.

“This was a space where I did not imagine the amount of excitement and sustained engagement with women,” she said. “It’s creating this community of like-minded sisters,” she added.

She said the association seeks to build a culture of mutual support where it serves a more organic form of women's empowerment.