Saudi Arabia has finally eased the driving laws for its female population, now allowing them to drive and own a driving license. On Tuesday, the Saudi Foreign Ministry announced via its Twitter account that a royal decree has been sent out which will allow all women in the country to get behind the wheel. A committee has also been devised to enforce the new law by June 2018. Previously, some women have been imprisoned after they were caught driving in the country.
Great step for female employees and Saudi economy
According to CNBC, this move was greatly appreciated by the US state department, who said that it was "a great step in the right direction".
The statement further read that it is "a positive step toward promoting the rights and opportunities of women" in the country. Saudi Arabia is one of the United States' biggest allies and in his most recent trip to the Kingdom, President Donald Trump signed a large arms deal with the ruling monarch. Saudi Arabia used to be the only country in the world that put a ban on women from driving. The ease on female driving restrictions will not only allow a larger fraction of the population to work, but will also have massive consequences for the economy of the country.
32-year-old Crown Prince is behind the positive changes
This step is the most recent one in a series of changes that have been made since the 32-year-old Crown Prince took charge in June this year.
Mohammad Bin Salman, who became the Crown Prince on June 21, is at the helm of a progressive strategy, which aims at transforming the economy of Saudi Arabia by 2030. The same plan also focuses on increasing the female human resources around the Kingdom. The Crown Prince has become a breath of fresh air for the otherwise old-fashioned Kingdom.
This was also evident on September 23 of this year, when women were let in a sports stadium for the first time, to attend the Kingdom's national day festivities.
Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries that still puts restrictions on the intermingling of both sexes at public places and enforces a number of restrictions on women -- which are administered by a religious police.The country follows Wahabi Islam, a strict form of the Sunni sect.
The Saudi Crown Prince, who is being speculated to become the next king, has noticeably decreased the power of the religious police since taking the reign.
Major changes made in May
In May, the King of Saudi Arabia instructed organizations to offer means of commute to their female workers. This was a major step to let women enter the workforce since public transportation is hard to find in the country. He also ordered government offices to enumerate specific services, for which the women would not have to get permission from their male relatives or guardians.
