Academic challenges of Saudi university females: results of an intercultural competence survey

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to introduce the final results of the research project focusing on the components of intercultural competence of Saudi female university students in the academic environment of the multicultural Jazan University in the KSA from 2014 to 2017. Firstly, this paper discusses the social roles of academic female youth then, it moves on with a literature review on the theoretical approaches and models, the author applied to this study. Secondly, the research survey is analysed conducted among female university students in different academic specializations. Due to the results, the study summarizes the four pillars of Saudi-specific cultural dimensions, and evaluates the intercultural competence components of the Jazan female students as future potential of Saudi female professionalism. The author’s research findings heavily support the idea that the present Saudi female university generation have the desire and ability to become interculturally and globally competent university students, even though women in Saudi Arabia still have a lot of things to do in the gender- separated society.