“I think it’s a great move for our country and it’s a huge move for women’s rights”, Dakhiel said.
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Women in Saudi Arabia have long had to rely on male relatives to get to work or run errands, complicating government efforts to boost household incomes as lower oil prices force austerity measures.
Some sarcastically noted the decree was a way for the kingdom’s rulers to divert attention away from controversial issues such as human rights abuses and the war in neighboring Yemen.
Other measures included allowing women to attend soccer matches and the inclusion of physical education in girls’ school curriculum.
King Salman ordered the reform on Tuesday night and the new law will be implemented by June 24, 2018.
“Today is a very special day for all Saudi women”.
Backwards Saudi Arabia, which treats women as little more than slaves or men’s chattels, is reportedly the only country on the planet that forbids females from getting behind the wheel.
The shock announcement comes after a years-long resistance from women’s rights activists, some of whom were jailed for defying the ban on female driving.
Saudi women have repeatedly participated in campaigns on social networks to obtain the right to drive cars.
Ms Knight said that although she does believe there will be pushback from conservatives, they no longer hold the same power they used to.
Saudi Arabian women rejoiced at their new freedom to drive on Wednesday, with some taking to the roads even though licences will not be issued for nine months.
Saudi Arabia has been a close ally of the United States. “Praise be to God”, Hathloul tweeted after the announcement. He explained that in the US women are integrated into the culture of driving, taking classes and learning the rules alongside men. We women are now taken into consideration’.
Play sports and compete in the Olympics – In 2012, Saudi Arabia sent two women to the Olympics and in 2016, it sent four. “I feel ecstatic that it is about to become a moot topic”. Women are forbidden to wear clothes or make-up that “show off their beauty”, must limit the amount of time they spend with men who aren’t family members and are not allowed to use public swimming pools. It is America’s largest customer for arms and weapons, and it was Donald Trump’s first stop in his inaugural trip overseas as president.
The 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed is set to be the first millennial to occupy the throne in a country where half the population is under 25, although the timing of his ascension remains unknown.
It comes after years of campaigning from within the country, and pressure from the worldwide community.
A negative slogan “the people refuse women driving” also sprang up. “It was inevitable that it would be lifted someday”.
Pressure for change had been building for some time.
Despite some steps forward for women in recent years, such as wider participation in the workforce, voting and standing in municipal elections, the gender-segregated nation has been widely criticized for its continued constraints.
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Not everyone is likely to be pleased by the lifting of the driving ban.
