Saudi Arabia agrees to let women drive

New York, US - Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday that it would allow women to drive, ending a longstanding policy.

The change, which will take effect in June of next year, was announced on state television and in a simultaneous media event in Washington.

The decision highlights the damage that the no-driving pol- icy has done to the kingdom’s international reputation and its hopes for a public relations benefit from the reform.

Saudi officials and clerics have in the past said that it was inappropriate in Saudi culture for women to drive. Rights groups have long campaigned for the ban to be overturned, and some women have been ar- rested and jailed for defying the prohibition and taking the wheel.

But the momentum to change the policy has picked up in recent years with the rise of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has laid out a far-reaching plan to overhaul the kingdom’s economy and society.

Beyond the effects it could have on Saudi Arabia’s image abroad, letting women drive could help the Saudi economy.

Despite the announcement, women will not be able to drive immediately. The kingdom has no infrastructure for women to learn to drive or to obtain drivers licenses.

The police will first need to be trained to interact with women in a way that they rarely do now.

But many of the kingdom’s professionals and young people will likely welcome the change.