Saudi Arabia To Finally Lift Ban On Women Driving

From summer 2018, ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia will at last allow women to drive in the kingdom
Saudi Arabia To Finally Lift Ban On Women Driving

Right now, Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that doesn’t allow women to drive. That’s all set to change though, as King Salman - who rules the country via what’s known as an absolute monarchy - has decreed that the ban will be lifted.

The exclusion has been part of a range of restrictions placed on women including gender segregation and strict guidelines on clothing. Anyone flouting the driving ban faces arrest and fines, but from 24 June 2018 when the royal order is implemented, that will end.

On Tuesday Prince Khaled bin Salman, the kingdom’s US ambassador, spoke of it being “an historic and big day in our kingdom,” adding, “I think our leadership understands that our society is ready. I think it’s the right decision at the right time.”

The decree follows years of campaigning from rights activists, and fierce opposition from religious leaders with arguments ranging from women apparently being “too stupid” to drive, to claims from conservative cleric Sheikh Saleh al-Lohaidan in 2013 that driving damages women’s ovaries. Yes, really.

Speaking to BBC news, campaigner Sahar Nassif said, “I couldn’t believe it. I started laughing and jumping and screaming. It’s a great victory….I’m going to buy my dream car, a convertible Mustang, and it’s going to be black and yellow!”

Women won’t need permission from a man to take driving lessons, and there won’t be any restrictions on where they can drive, Prince Salman confirmed.

Sources: BBC News, Reuters

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Comments

Tomislav Celić

Every guy from Balkan is disappointed at this moment.

09/27/2017 - 11:31 |
4 | 2

What is with the Balkan joke? I don’t understand.

09/27/2017 - 12:23 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

“I’m going to buy my dream car, a convertible Mustang, and it’s going to be black and yellow!”

This could not end well.

09/27/2017 - 11:33 |
130 | 2
Disklok

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Should get a yellow and black Disklok to match

09/27/2017 - 11:37 |
114 | 3
TheMindGarage

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Don’t worry - as long as they stay away from Cars and Coffee, it’s fine.

09/27/2017 - 15:54 |
5 | 0
Jefferson Tan(日産)

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

BLACK AND YELLOW BLACK AND YELLOW BLACK AND YELLOW BLACK AND YELLOW BLACK AND YELLOW

09/30/2017 - 16:56 |
3 | 0
Constantine C.K.

every guy from Balkan is betting on how high will the accident / crash percentage rise within the first year

09/27/2017 - 11:34 |
39 | 2

You guessed right.

09/27/2017 - 11:41 |
3 | 0

brate ubio si u pojam😂

09/27/2017 - 13:56 |
0 | 0

BALKAN POWER

09/27/2017 - 13:57 |
4 | 0

Lel it might be the thing we are most addicted to other than cars. FFS I even lost over $200k in Nitro Nation how confident I was in my Chevelle (ps my engine blew out, car’s fast tho)

09/27/2017 - 21:43 |
1 | 0
maurotehsilva

Yeah! ABOUT TIME!

I’m one of those people that wants there to be more women drivers (preferably petrolheads although)

09/27/2017 - 11:37 |
13 | 1

Ehm. Woman are superior to men. They see more colors, smell more smells (I guess that’s how you put it), they remember more details BUT THEY ARE WORSE AT DRIVING, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PROVED IT

09/27/2017 - 19:02 |
8 | 1
Anonymous

Finally a good news this week

09/27/2017 - 11:39 |
6 | 1
Ali Mahfooz

Good thing they’re already protecting the immigrants by discriminating them and asking them to stay away from their country by asking us to pay taxes. 😂👌

09/27/2017 - 11:39 |
8 | 2
Olivier (CT's grammar commie)

In reply to by Ali Mahfooz

what

09/27/2017 - 12:25 |
1 | 0

Lol lets keep the comments about cars and not make it political 😂

09/27/2017 - 12:54 |
9 | 0
Anonymous

Next are they going to let women get outside by their own?

09/27/2017 - 11:52 |
14 | 2
woulditfitonmyhonda

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Wtf I live ln ksa and women are allowed to go outside alone. Why TF does media lie to westerners.

09/27/2017 - 19:20 |
2 | 2
Anonymous

Finally! They’ve been to restrictive over there for too long. My mother drives better than most of the taxi drivers in the KSA 😂

09/27/2017 - 11:58 |
2 | 1
Abbas Algudaihi

I can officially say welcome to the 19th century Saudi Arabia.

09/27/2017 - 12:14 |
59 | 2

“I think it’s the right decision at the right time” 😂😂

09/27/2017 - 12:38 |
25 | 1

Saudi Arabia is a developed country. I live in a small City and there is a lot of sh*t like, uhh sketchy Chrysler dealers.

09/27/2017 - 19:19 |
0 | 0