I think that you are highly misinformed about the earnings of Saudi Arabian women who work. They are not much lower than the men. I can use my two elder sisters as an example although one of them is working and living in UAE. But it applies to KSA as well. Yes, they earn less compared to the men (surprise, surprise they do that in every country I can think of) in the same positions but their salary is still much higher than the average salary in the Muslim world for your average women in the same position. So that is why I just wrote "Muslim world" initially.
For each year more and more Saudi Arabian women are employed in the public and private sector and this will mean that their wages will increase since they will make up a bigger share of the working force for each year.
Women in GCC don't lack anything. Especially not those from the more liberal GCC countries such as UAE, Kuwait etc.
Anyone familiar with the Muslim world and region would tell you so as well.
I don't see what this news has anything to do with "Western culture"? Our cultures are much, much older. Women already played big roles in the societies way before Islam.
Queen Sheba is the earliest attested female queen/ruler. From ancient Yemen. Already described in the Tora'h and later in both the Bible and Qur'an.
I mean let alone talk about fashion. Arab women always loved extravagance. I mean it just takes a few minutes to read 1001 Arabian Nights or reports of outsiders of Arab cities 1000 years ago.
The earliest attested fashion happened, surprise surprise, in our region. The ME.
Women doing things that women are supposed to do have nothing to do with the West.
I also don't see any religious contradiction. Does Islam tell women not to act like women? Rather the opposite. This is emphasized.