Women may now drive their own cars in Saudi Arabia

AT Midnight last night (Saturday), women living in Saudi Arabia were officially allowed to drive after a decades-old driving ban was lifted.

The decision to make the change was announced last September and the Saudi authorities issued the first licences to women earlier this month.

Car manufacturers, especially those from the USA, were very quick to start advertising their cars in the oil rich kingdom and some of their adverts were both artistic and clever bearing in mind that this is still a very conservative country despite the recent steps towards liberalisation promoted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Saudi Arabia has a very high percentage of people under the age of 30 and the country is slowly but surely moving towards a more moderate attitude in its religious observances.

Until now, it was the only country in the world where women were banned from driving and therefore had to be ferried around by their families or chauffeurs but according to Amnesty International, at least eight women who campaigned for the right to drive have been arrested and are awaiting trial.