Saudi Arabia’s ban on women driving ends

Riyadh, June 24: Saudi women are now officially allowed to get behind the wheel after a decades-old driving ban was lifted on Sunday. Since early morning, women have been driving on the roads across the country, while Saudi traffic police handed out roses to them, reports Xinhua news agency. On June 4, Saudi Arabia issued the first driving license to women, after Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud officially announced in September 2017 to allow women to drive. Assistant Interior Minister for Operations Saeed Al-Qahtani has confirmed that security checkpoints would be set up to deal with expected changes in traffic after lifting the ban. Driving schools for women have been set up in five cities. Women with foreign driving licenses will be able to apply for a local one through a separate process. (IANS)