A date to mark! Saudi women to start driving in June 2018

Saudi Arabia has officially announced lifting the ban on women to drive cars, which will be effective in June, following a landmark decision by King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz.

The Royal Decree issued on Tuesday on Saudi women right’s to drive confirmed that the majority of the members of the senior scholars’ council agree that the ruling in this regard clearly demonstrate permissibility, pointing out that the past reservations were based on considerations related to some issues that can neither be confirmed nor denied. The members of the senior scholars see no impediment for the issue of women driving as long as there are enough legitimate and orderly guarantees to avoid those considerations, even if within the scope of doubtful possibility.

The royal decree said: “Since the state is the custodian of the values of legitimacy, thus it considers maintaining and caring for it in the list of its priorities, whether in this matter or other, and will not hesitate to take every decision necessary to maintain the security and safety of society, so adopt the application of the provisions of the Traffic Regulations and its Executive Regulations - Including the issuance of driver’s licenses - to both males and females, and to form a high-level committee of ministries (internal affairs, finance, labor and social development) to study the necessary arrangements to enforce this decree.

The committee has to raise its recommendations within thirty days of this date. The implementation of this decree shall start from June 23, 2018 according to the legal and regulatory rules adopted, and the completion of what is required by it.”