The Only Country That Doesn't Allow Women Drivers Might Take a Small Step Forward

Jason Siu
by Jason Siu

A member of the Saudi royal family is pushing to make it legal for women to drive in his country.

Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women are not allowed to drive, but a small step has been taken in hopes of breaking the long-established and outdated rule. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal posted a letter titled, “It is High Time that Saudi Women Started Driving Their Cars,” to his Twitter account. The four-page letter lists financial, economic, social, religious and political reasons why women should be allowed to drive.

“Preventing a woman from driving a car is today an issue of rights similar to the one that forbade her from receiving an education or having an independent identity,” he writes. “They are all unjust acts by a traditional society, far more restrictive than what is lawfully allowed by the precepts of religion. Such a ban on driving is fundamentally an infringement on a woman’s rights, particularly as it continues to exist after she had won her right to an education and a salaried employment.”

SEE ALSO: Women Driving More Frequently, Further Distances: Study

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s letters contrasts deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud’s beliefs that the Saudi community “is not convinced about women driving,” a statement he made earlier this year.

كفى نقاش:

حان وقت قيادة المرأة للسيارة https://t.co/BBgyF8i1Gs

Stop the debate:

Time for women to drive https://t.co/6KAniFa4BT

— الوليد بن طلال (@Alwaleed_Talal) November 29, 2016

[Source: Time]

Jason Siu
Jason Siu

Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.

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