Page 72 - Aamir Rehman - Dubai & Co Global Strategies for Doing Business in the Gulf States-McGraw-Hill (2007)

56 Dubai & Co.

Figure 2.5 Most GCC college students are women (Source: GCC
government data)

Another factor that makes young, educated women a crucial
customer segment is their relatively high level of disposable
income. Like their counterparts in Japan and unlike in the West,
GCC women are less likely to live alone and are more likely to live
with their parents or husbands. Female professionals will therefore
be able to spend more of their disposable income on discretionary
purchases such as clothing, accessories, and cosmetics. According
to a recent article in an Arabic-language magazine, it is not uncom-
mon for female citizens of UAE countries to feel pressure to own
designer handbags costing over $1,500—and more of these women
are taking out loans to support such status-driven spending. 21

WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE
As the data on university enrollment suggests, female professionals
are becoming an increasingly important part of the GCC workforce.