The decision to allow Saudi women to drive is one of the most radical social and economic reforms to be introduced in the kingdom’s 87-year history.
The royal decree is part of a larger set of reforms in recent years that have granted women more economic independence and educational development.
Lina Al Maeena, a member of the Shura Council told The National the move is likely to promote women's freedom in the country more than ever before.
She said the exact rules and regulations of the decision are still to be debated but should be announced “within a month to enable women to drive in around 10 months”. She said a committee of officials from the interior and labour ministry will draw up the details.
Saudi Arabia still lags far behind other Gulf nations when it comes to women’s rights, and it remains to be seen how much freedom they will be given on the kingdom’s roads when they finally have the ability to obtain driving licenses.
Some Saudi observers said the initial step may only permit women to drive for official reasons, falling short of equal rights to men.
_____________________
Read more:
Saudi women overjoyed to be hitting the road soon
Saudi decision to allow women to drive welcomed
Citizens and residents rejoice at King's decree to allow women to drive
_____________________
Regardless, the decision was roundly welcomed by Saudi women and some men who said allowing women to drive was a big move towards gender equality and will provide a huge boost to the Saudi economy.
“It's a series of decisions to enable women to work alongside their male counterparts to develop the country,” Ms Al Maeena said.
She said millions of Saudi riyals would be saved. Saudis employ around 1.38 million drivers at a cost of 3 billion riyals a month, but allowing women to drive would mean that about half a million would no longer be required.
The lifting of the ban is about “empowering women in line with vision 2030, increasing women’s participation in the workforce from 22 per cent to 30 per cent,” Ms Al Maeena said.
“Women driving in Saudi Arabia alongside their male counterparts is building and developing the country.”
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 is the brainchild of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and an attempt to address a future in which oil plays less of a role in the kingdom's economy.
Providing women with more rights could be Saudi Arabia’s new economic fuel, as a generation of well-educated women intent on a role in society beyond bearing children will provide a much-needed injection into the workforce.
This sudden mobilisation of a huge section of the Saudi population will provide a dream scenario for growth. Those entering the work force have benefitted from the reformist policies of former kings aimed at empowering women.
By Saudi Arabian standards, King Abdullah, who died in January 2015, was a reformist, implementing a number of policies to raise the status of women. He was the first king to promote the idea that women had the right to higher education.
He also appointed 30 women to the Shura Council and issued a decree allowing women to participate as voters and candidates in municipal elections, the most democratic Saudi authority.
The lift of the driving ban “definitely isn't the first step,” said Jane Kinninmont, deputy head and Senior Research Fellow, at Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Programme.
“Many changes were made under King Abdullah. Among the important changes was the massive expansion of university education for women, including the scholarship system.
“The changes in the labour law and regulations over the past decade have also enabled these educated women to play more of a role in the economy, thanks to a series of influential ministers including the late Ghazi Al Gosaibi.”
After King Abdullah’s death, King Salman, in his first speech on ascending to the throne, said he would continue to push for reform on women’s rights. Allowing women to drive will likely be viewed as the most important move for women to date.
The more conservative aspects of Saudi Arabian society have not been silent. Islamic conservatives and clerics took to social media to express their condemnation of the decision. The most tweeted hashtag on the subject, and the fourth globally on Wednesday, translated to “the people reject the rule of women”.
Just days before the decision to allow women to drive, Sheikh Saad Al Hijri, a cleric in Saudi Arabia, said during a lecture that “women don’t deserve to drive because they only have a quarter of a brain”.
The decision to allow women to drive comes as the Shura Council moves to curb the authority of the ultra-conservative and often-criticised religious police.
Earlier this month, the council announced it would vote on a proposal for the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, as they are officially known, to be absorbed into the ministry of Islamic affairs.
The religious police are seen by many Saudis as a blight of their desire for a modern society, patrolling public spaces to enforce bans on music, the mixing of unrelated men and women and making sure prayer times are observed. The force also imposes strict modesty requirements on women’s dress.
In April last year, the government stripped the religious police of the power to arrest.
“Overturning the ban on women driving is a bold statement, as the issue has been one of great symbolic importance for religious conservatives in the country,” said Ms Kinninmont.
“It is something that senior princes have often talked about in the past, but it was always deferred to appease influential religious clerics.
“When King Abdullah wanted to rein in the power of the clerics, he usually did it through subtle, quiet steps, such as a series of long term judicial reforms that gradually reduced their powers in the justice system. By contrast, Mohammed bin Salman is making a more overt move to signal that Saudi Arabia is changing.”
Full list of Emmy 2020 nominations
LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
Don Cheadle, Black Monday
Ted Danson, The Good Place
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek
Ramy Youssef, Ramy
LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Christina Applegate, Dead to Me
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Linda Cardellini, Dead to Me
Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek
Issa Rae, Insecure
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
OUTSTANDING VARIETY/TALK SERIES
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jason Bateman, Ozark
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Steve Carell, The Morning Show
Brian Cox, Succession
Billy Porter, Pose
Jeremy Strong, Succession
LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show
Olivia Colman, The Crown
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
Laura Linney, Ozark
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Zendaya, Euphoria
OUTSTANDING REALITY/COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Masked Singer
Nailed It!
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Top Chef
The Voice
LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
Jeremy Irons, Watchmen
Hugh Jackman, Bad Education
Paul Mescal, Normal People
Jeremy Pope, Hollywood
Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True
LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
Cate Blanchett, Mrs. America
Shira Haas, Unorthodox
Regina King, Watchmen
Octavia Spencer, Self Made
Kerry Washington, Little Fires Everywhere
OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES
Little Fires Everywhere
Mrs. America
Unbelievable
Unorthodox
Watchmen
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Dead to Me
The Good Place
Insecure
The Kominsky Method
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Schitt’s Creek
What We Do In The Shadows
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Better Call Saul
The Crown
The Handmaid’s Tale
Killing Eve
The Mandalorian
Ozark
Stranger Things
Succession
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
MATCH INFO
Mumbai Indians 186-6 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 183-5 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians won by three runs
Allardyce's management career
Clubs (10) - Limerick (1991-1992), Perston North End (1992), Blackpool (1994-1996), Notts County (1997-1999), Bolton Wanderers (1999-2007), Newcastle United (2007-2008), Blackburn Rovers (2008-2010), West Ham United (2011-2015), Sunderland (2016), Crystal Palace (2016-2017)
Countries (1) - England (2016)
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
MATCH INFO
Burnley 1 (Brady 89')
Manchester City 4 (Jesus 24', 50', Rodri 68', Mahrez 87')
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Cry Macho
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam
Rating:**
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Race card
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
Arctic Monkeys
Tranquillity Base Hotel Casino (Domino)
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
