Board Gender Diversity, Cultural Shifts, and Sustainable Development in Gulf Societies

Abstract

This study investigates the ascent of women into corporate leadership in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as a driver of profound cultural and institutional change. Moving beyond econometric correlation, we analyze the boardroom as a contested cultural field where new forms of capital are negotiated. Based on a longitudinal study of 57 GCC banks, we demonstrate that the positive relationship between female directors and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) reporting is an empirical marker of a deeper shift: the infusion of a distinct, feminine-coded cultural capital that is reconfiguring corporate priorities. Female agency, often catalyzed by state-led "vision" projects, emerges as a central force in this process, challenging patriarchal norms and steering institutions toward social and environmental accountability. We conclude that women are not merely participants in, but are central agents of, a dual project: localizing global sustainability frameworks while simultaneously reshaping the cultural foundations of modern Gulf society.