Enhancing Boardroom Diversity in Saudi Arabia

This monograph contains an evaluation of the research dealing with the drivers and significance of corporate board diversity and corporate governance focused on Saudi Arabia. It specifically shows how to increase board diversity in a different culture and social setting. This is achieved by presenting more than two thousand items of secondary data and comparing these to data from 2020 to show the social change from the old to new diversity logics amidst the more general social change, with comparative analysis of global trends.

The book will provide a clear picture of boardroom diversity in Saudi Arabia. This will contribute to knowledge through understanding board diversity and exploring whether there have been changes in the boardroom due to social structure shifts, and the extent of resistance. It will benefit both accounting and governance academics as well as the broader practitioner community. Furthermore, it will be important for those looking at social change and the role of the Saudi national plan Vision 2030 which provides a strategic framework to reduce the country’s dependence on oil, diversify its economy and develop its public sector.

• The first book to investigate boardroom diversity in Saudi Arabia
• Captures the change of Saudis boardroom in six demographic types of diversity
• Looks into the impact of social settings in Saudi culture by highlighting the Vision of 2030
• Provides a comprehensive review of Saudi Arabia’s most recent corporate governance codes

Abdullah Eskandarany is an Assistant Professor of Accounting at the Business College of the University of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. As an assistant professor, he has been actively involved in teaching and administrative duties at both the departmental and faculty level. Abdullah holds a PhD in Management from Accounting and Financial Management department at University of Sheffield Management School, an MSc in Accounting and Finance from Bangor University, UK, and an MBA in Accounting from Avila University, USA. Abdullah’s research interests include extinction accounting, Islamic tax (zakat), and corporate governance, with a specific concentration on the corporate board and its diversity. Abdullah has presented research on boardroom diversity at many conferences and workshops.