Seeking the right to drive from abroad

More than 60 years ago, there was a noticeable increase in the numbers of Saudi families that were moving to nearby countries to live and educate their daughters. At the time, formal educational institutions for girls were banned, except for a very few private schools in major cities, but certainly no universities or colleges. However, The ban on girls’ education was lifted by government in the early 60s and put an end to this disturbing escape of intellectual minds hungry for higher education.
Today, the ban on driving for Saudi women is also causing a nearly comparable rise in the number of Saudi girls that are traveling to countries such as the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar to get driving lessons and licenses to exercise their right to drive their own cars. The segment of girls that are leaving the country with their concerned families are all highly cultured and educated.
The sad truth is that our traffic system and laws are not only gender biased but also failing international safety standards. We have become the worst country in the world in terms of traffic accidents and road violations. However, this is not reason enough to ban women from driving. In any case the streets and the traffic system as a whole are in dire need of improvement.
There is a lot of confusion surrounding the dilemma of the ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia. Conservatives view it as a religious concern; while government officials claim it to be a cultural matter and that society should decide if and when. On the other hand, many see it as a necessity and intellectuals say that there has to be new judicial legislation that will stop the ban, mistreatment or imprisonment of women if they start driving on Saudi roads.
Contradicting news is circling on whether the Saudi government is seriously contemplating lifting the ban on women driving, or just pushing the idea around between several regulating bodies. Even the Saudi Shoura Council is giving mixed signals on its involvement, i.e. in giving their recommendation on the subject, since it has not been officially assigned to study the issue.
The last official statement regarding this controversial matter was by the Director General of Traffic Abdulrahman Almuqbil a couple of weeks ago. He had stated that the only directions they have on the matter is to issue violation tickets to women drivers — implying that they would not be detained by the police. However, he did not elaborate more on the subject, and the issue is still to be tested, since the last time a Saudi woman was caught driving was held in custody and signed a pledge to not do it again.
It is no secret that a large number of Saudi women hold international driver’s licenses, and are waiting eagerly for a positive and clear indicator regarding their right to drive. They also believe that they will bring safety and stability to the chaotic roads of Saudi Arabia.

A tweet: “Human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights.”
— Hillary Clinton

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