The royal decree will be reformed to allow driving licenses to be issued to women who want them.
Saudi Arabian women were granted the right to drive in the reformed decree ordered by King Salman. They will no longer need to ask permission from a legal guardian or be required to have a guardian when they drive.
Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Saudi ambassador to Washington DC, said: “I think our leadership understands our society is ready.” While Abdulaziz opted to not comment on other questions on the expansion of other women’s rights, the US state department says that the move was “a great step in the right direction”.
This historic move followed a decision last week where women were also allowed to enter a sports stadium for the first time. These new initiatives are significant in that Saudi Arabia has been known to strictly mark gender roles and limit roles of women in public spaces.
Saudi Arabia is the last country in the world to allow women drivers, a criticism that has been thrown at the nation by critics as evidence that the female population of the country is among the most marginalised in the world.
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