Saudi Arabia Ends Ban On Women Drivers

Saudi Arabia's king issued a decree on Tuesday allowing women to drive, which would end a longstanding ban on female motorists in the ultra-conservative country.

The Saudi Ministry of the Interior said the decree means women will be allowed to drive in 10 months. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that prohibits women from driving.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency and state TV reported the news late Tuesday evening local time, saying a royal order was issued for both men and women to be issued drivers' licenses. A committee will be formed to look into how to implement the new order.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters that the department was pleased with the announcement and that lifting the ban is a good sign. The White House said President Donald Trump commends the kingdom on the decision.

"This is a positive step toward promoting the rights and opportunities of women in Saudi Arabia," the office of the White House press secretary said in a statement.

In November 2016, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who does not hold an official government position, urged that the ban be lifted, saying: "Stop the debate: Time for women to drive."

Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States, Prince Khalid bin Salman, said in a statement that "the issue of women driving was never a religious or a cultural issue" and that Islam does not forbid women from driving. "This was a societal issue," he said.

"Today, we have a young and vibrant society and the time had come to make this move,” the ambassador said.

Khalid bin Salman told reporters in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday that the change marks "a historic, big day in our kingdom."

He said that women will not have to be accompanied by a guardian to drive nor do they have to ask for permission from a guardian to drive, and any woman that has a driver’s license in any other Gulf country will be allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia.

"This is a huge change, a huge step," he said. "Now we have women driving which is not just a social change but it's part of the economic reform, because in order to increase the women participation in the work force, women need to drive themselves to work."