Amal Al-Ajaji

Saudi Arabia's first female entrepreneur who pioneered women's economic empowerment through textile manufacturing

Amal Al-Ajaji (1920-2005) broke barriers as Saudi Arabia's first female business owner, establishing the country's first women's textile factory in 1958. Defying cultural norms, she created a space where 150 women could work in a segregated facility producing traditional abayas. Her Al-Ajaji Textile Company became a model for women's economic participation in a male-dominated society.

Al-Ajaji's innovative approach included designing uniforms for Saudi Airlines stewardesses in 1960, which became the first professional attire designed by a Saudi woman. She established a training program that taught over 500 women sewing and business skills, laying groundwork for future women entrepreneurs. Her 1965 meeting with Queen Sirikit of Thailand resulted in shared textile techniques that improved Saudi garment quality.

Despite facing opposition from conservative religious leaders, her factory operated for 40 years until 1998. Her legacy is celebrated in the Saudi Aramco Exhibition Center, where her story is featured as a pioneer of women's economic participation. Modern businesswomen like Lubna Olayan cite her as inspiration, proving her impact persists through Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 reforms.