The conservative Washington Times runs this piece about Nora al-Fayez, the new Deputy Minister for Girls Education. The article discusses last month’s cabinet changes and the continuing issues with the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

Saudi female official settles in to job
Jumana Al-Tamimi

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates

Nora al-Fayez, Saudi Arabia’s highest-ranking female official, is not ready to make big pronouncements. A month after King Abdullah named her deputy education minister for women as part of a sweeping Cabinet reshuffle, Ms. Fayez told The Washington Times that she “preferred not to talk much at this stage” about plans until she has time to formulate an approach to the new job.

Still, she said, “I can say that 99.9 percent of the people were happy about my appointment, especially that it deals with issues related to women.”

Asked why she was appointed, she said it reflected the views of both Saudi intellectuals and ordinary people and was not a response to external pressure.

“The Saudi leadership makes important decisions carefully,” she said. “It has to prepare the society for change.”
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