Saudi women are celebrating being able to drive for the first time in decades, after the kingdom overturned the world’s only ban on female motorists.
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.
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.
Allowing women to drive is part of ‘Vision 2030’, an ambitious roadmap of socio-economic reforms designed to wean the kingdom off its dependence on oil revenue.
A handful of female driving schools have started up, training women to drive cars as well and motorbikes in scenes unimaginable even a year ago.
