Women in the Gulf conquer the world of banking

Saudi retail banks have set up segregated branches “Ladies’ banks” only women can enter in order to circumvent the “unwritten” law which prevents women from making business with unrelated men.
The facilities give women the possibility to manage their finances independently of interfering fathers, brothers or husbands. Women are starting to realize that saving some money independently is a wise decision given the fact that the divorce rates in the Gulf region are rising. According to the Economist, even wealth managers, especially in Europe and the USA, are realising that women in the Gulf region are sitting on fortunes in cash, land and even jewellery.
Amanda McCrystal of Bramdiva, a London-based wealth-consultation service for women, states that a few years ago there was a boom in online share-trading by women in the Gulf, since they could do it from the privacy of home. In the United Arab Emirates, Dubai World, a government holding company, has founded Forsa, an investment company completely run by women for women. The staff rejects to use traditional women services which offer only superficial changes to market products to women, as for example a pink credit card. Instead they intend to give these women professional and comprehensive consultation service and treat them as equal and serious clients.