More than 120,000 women in Saudi Arabia apply for licence
Historic day sees 190 women drive across causeway in 12 hours
More than 120,000 women have applied for driving licences in Saudi Arabia, Major-General Mansour Al Turki, official spokesman of the Ministry of Interior said. “Now we have more than 120,000 women who applied for driving licences and we are working on finishing the procedures,” he added. “Demand for driving licences is very high and an increase in the number of women driving vehicles on the kingdom’s roads is expected soon.”
Al Turki said most of the women who had applied for driving licences did not have prior or sufficient driving experience.
Some women with no experience have been taking lessons at driving schools while those who have foreign driving licences are able to exchange them directly for Saudi licences at 22 centres across the kingdom, the two officials said.
Women with no experience need to undergo at least 30 hours of practical training at a driving school, while women who are able to drive, but don’t currently hold a driving licence from abroad that they can exchange for a local one, can sit for six hours of practical driving instruction.
Celebrated with fanfare
Meanwhile, more than 190 women drove over the King Fahd Causeway within 12 hours.
The figure was reported on Sunday by Saudi TV channel Al Ekhbariya.
The 25-kilometre road is the terrestrial link between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Although it has been used by millions of drivers, no woman has ever officially driven across the causeway in its 32year history.
The historic day was celebrated with great fanfare by Saudi and Bahraini women who drove to the Eastern Province in a show of support and solidarity.
Saudi authorities said they recorded women driving through other border crossing points between Saudi Arabia and Jordan and Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
At midnight on Sunday, women in Saudi Arabia hit the roads after a driving ban was lifted in the country.
The occasion was widely celebrated as a historic moment.