Saudi Women Celebrate Driving 10/10/2018
- Wafa Nabil
- Jun 24, 2018
- 2 min read
Saudi Arabian women celebrated being able to drive for the first time in decades Sunday, as the kingdom overturned the world's only ban on female motorists, a historic reform expected to usher in a new era of social mobility.
The move is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's wide-ranging drive to modernise the kingdom - but it has coincided with a sweeping crackdown on female activists who long opposed the driving ban. Women in Riyadh and other cities began zipping around streets bathed in amber light soon after the ban was lifted at midnight, with some blasting music from behind the wheel. "I always knew this day would come. But it came fast. Sudden," said talkshow host and writer Samar Almogren as she drove across the capital. "I feel free like a bird." Television presenter Sabika al-Dosari said the end of the ban was "a historic moment for every Saudi woman" before driving a sedan across the border to the kingdom of Bahrain.
The lifting of the ban, a glaring symbol of repression, is expected to be transformative for many women, freeing them from dependence on private chauffeurs or male relatives. Euphoria was mixed with disbelief as women across the kingdom flooded social media with videos of their maiden car rides, with a heavy presence of policemen, some Saudi traffic police distributed flowers to the first-time drivers.
"This is a great achievement," Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal said as his daughter Reem drove a family SUV, with his granddaughters applauding from the back seat. "Now women have their freedom," he added in a video posted on Twitter.
Many Saudi women ebulliently declared plans online to drive for coffee or ice cream, a mundane experience elsewhere in the world but a dazzling novelty in the desert kingdom. "The jubilance, confidence and pride expressed by Saudi women driving for the first time in their country, without fear of arrest, brought tears to my eyes," tweeted activist Hala al-Dosari, while lauding the jailed campaigners.
The move is expected to boost women's employment, and according to a Bloomberg estimate, add $90 billion to economic output by 2030. We are witnessing history in front of our eyes, its a day to remember for a lifetime. Congratulations to our strong, independent, superheroes women! Drive safe!
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