Saudi Arabia was the last country to have a ban on women when it comes to operating motor vehicles. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (CNN)Saudi women drivers took to the roads legally Sunday for the first time in the kingdom's history, as its decades-old ban on women driving finally lifted. That plan includes diversifying the economy and creating new sectors for young people to work in, as well as laying on more cultural events such as concerts. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy, Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq, A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France, A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? Prince Khaled bin Salman, the new Saudi ambassador to Washington, ​said it was the right time for Saudi Arabia to do the right thing and said his government viewed women driving as a social issue, not a religious or cultural matter. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia, The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Jaguar was built for people who love driving and so today we invite anyone who is as passionate about driving as we are, to share a photo or video of their ultimate driving memory (image or anecdote) using the #worlddrivingday. Saudi Arabia's King Salman has issued a decree allowing women to drive for the first time, to the joy of activists. The conservative kingdom is currently the only country where the act of women driving is forbidden. The latest reform follows on the heels of a number of changes made by the country’s ultraconservative regime in the past few years. But getting behind the wheel means "I will be able to open the door to new horizons.”. 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This move was announced last year in September, as part of the Kingdom’s effort to remove the country’s reputation of repressing women’s rights. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month, Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. A number of women have been arrested for defying the ban. Human Rights Watch said Saudi authorities arrested and detained a handful of men and women who campaigned for women's rights and to end the driving ban. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. US State Department spokesman Heather Nauert called the new decree “a great step in the right direction”. 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In 2015, women were … JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia – The sound of revving engines filled roadways and parking lots at shopping malls early Sunday as this desert kingdom became the world's last country to lift its ban on women driving. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. Vehicle Imagery licensed from EVOX Images, For the first time in the history of Saudi Arabia, women are now allowed to drive. Saudi men and women react as the country prepares to lift its decades-old women's driving ban. Change will be fully implemented by 2018, royal decree from King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud states, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. Jaguar Land Rover spokesperson, Fiona Pargeter, Customer Experience Director comments: “It’s easy to forget and take for granted the enjoyment of driving and just what a privilege it is to get behind the wheel of a car. Low oil prices have limited the government jobs that many Saudi families have relied on and authorities are looking to push more citizens, including women, into employment. Many Saudi women were less concerned about civil rights and more elated about the practical means of being able to drive. Women in Saudi Arabia gear up to legally drive for first time this Sunday, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. We are witnessing history in the making. “It’s going to make things much, much easier – going to work, dropping the kids off to school and just having the choice to go out whenever we want to,” said Nada Farsi, a dental school instructor at King Abdulaziz University and mother of two. Saudi women are officially allowed to get behind the wheel, after a decades-old driving ban was lifted. What better way to kick off World Driving Day than a lap of honour in my home country in a Jaguar F-TYPE – the ultimate car to roar around the track. Saudi Arabia Lifts Ban On Women Driving "I'm full of hope and optimism and joy and very proud today to be a Saudi woman," one student told HuffPost. “As an independent woman, driving is one of the main aspects of my life that’s been missing,” said Shefa Mohamed Aldwelah, 26, as she prepared to take to the road in her car.

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