Her appearance drew plaudits on social media, where viewers celebrated the milestone.

Al Dakheel began working for the channel this year. She has previously worked for CNBC Arabia and as an anchor on Al-Arab, a Bahrain-based news channel.

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Her appearance is part of a broader effort to fold women into the workforce. Last year, the crown prince unveiled his ambitious Vision 2030 plan, designed to modernize Saudi Arabia and move it away from its overwhelming reliance on oil exports. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman hopes to reorient the economy and reinvigorate the workforce.

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Among the transformations is the aggressive relaunch of Al Saudiya, the country’s state-run station managed by the Ministry of Culture and Information. The channel has been asked to focus on Salman’s modernization efforts.

Vision 2030 also imagines a more inclusive Saudi Arabia where women are freer to work and move around. This summer, women were allowed to drive for the first time. They are also now welcome at soccer games, and more employment opportunities are available to them. Salman has said he hopes women will make up a third of the workforce by 2030. Women hold about 22 percent of the country’s jobs.

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Earlier this month, the country’s airline said it will begin recruiting female flight attendants.

But there are limits to how far these efforts stretch. Although women can work more, companies are required to segregate the sexes. Even as women began driving, more than a dozen women’s rights activists in the country were detained and arrested. Some are still behind bars. And one of the most onerous requirements women face — that a male guardian must give them permission to work, marry, travel and even get medical treatment — is still on the books.

In a June poll of 550 women’s rights experts, Saudi Arabia was voted to have the second most discriminatory policies on women and economics.