Saudi Arabia issues first driving licences to women

A woman drives a car in Saudi Arabia October 22, 2013. A conservative Saudi Arabian cleric has said women who drive risk damaging their ovaries and bearing children with clinical problems, countering activists who are trying to end the Islamic kingdom's male-only driving rules. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women are barred from driving, but debate about the ban, once confined to the private sphere and social media, is increasingly spreading to public forums too. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser (SAUDI ARABIA - Tags: POLITICS SOCIETY TRANSPORT) - GM1E9AM1KEQ01

Weeks before the ban on women drivers is lifted in Saudi Arabia, the country has started issuing driving licences to women for the first time in decades.

Until last September, families had to hire private drivers for travel requirements involving female members.

The Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman unveiled a programme to modernise certain parts of the Saudi society. He spearheads the Vision 2030 programme to diversify the economy away from oil. The lifting of the driving ban is a part of the Crown Prince’s programme.

As per a report from the BBC, ten women swapped their foreign licenses for Saudi ones on Monday. The authorities are expecting a large number of applications before June 24, when the ban is slated to be lifted.

However, women’s rights activists have complained of a new crackdown by the Saudi authorities. Last month, several activists were arrested accused of being traitors and working with foreign powers. Amnesty International, a human rights group, called the arrests ‘blatant intimidation tactics’. On Sunday, Saudi prosecutors said that out of the 17 people detained, eight had been released ‘temporarily’.

In a statement, the Saudi Information Ministry said, “Expectations are that next week an additional 2,000 women will join the ranks of licensed drivers in the kingdom.” They also added that the 10 women who had received their new Saudi licence ‘had made history’. Saudi women are thrilled at this decision and look forward to having the option of independent movement.