A woman drives a car in Riyadh as part of a campaign for driving.
Dubai - Women in Saudi Arabia have been protesting the ban for decades and many have either been detained or arrested while doing so
By Sarwat Nasir, Reuters
Published: Thu 28 Sep 2017, 10:17 PM
UAE residents have welcomed the Saudi royal decree which will allow women in the kingdom to legally drive, with many saying that it will help them become 'independent' in various ways.
Saudi Arabia was the only country in the world with a ban on women drivers. However, in a historic decision on September 26, women will be allowed to obtain a driver's license in the kingdom by June 2018.
Women in Saudi Arabia have been protesting the ban for decades and many have either been detained or arrested while doing so.
Khaleej Times spoke to UAE residents, most who have visited Saudi Arabia before, on how the removal of the ban will help the lives of women in the kingdom.
"I do believe it's a great move. It will help women become more independent in their daily life and, moreover, it will help a lot of families financially as hiring a driver was quite an expense for Saudi household," said a French expat in Dubai, Mathieu Garvi
"I'm curious also to see in the future if having women in the road will change the general attitude of Saudi driving which is very fast, dangerous and aggressive and having women on the road will help to 'appease' the general driving atmosphere."
Anika Habib, an Australian expat in Dubai, believes that women being able to legally drive in the kingdom will possibly help create "equal opportunities" between men and women.
"It's a great start. Women should have the same rights and freedom as men," Habib said. "They are created equal in Islam, and this would even assist them in their more traditional roles, such as home care takers - for example, getting the groceries without a driver."
An Egyptian expat in Dubai, Aya Hassan, believes that allowing women to drive is a 'positive' step.
Even though Hassan has never visited Saudi Arabia before, she is keen on driving there one day now that the ban has been lifted.
"The removal of the ban over women drivers in the KSA is seen as positive step towards women equality in kingdom," she said. "It is a step forward to the kingdom and one more milestone in women's rights in the region. As a Middle Eastern woman, I am proud of this removal and looking forward to the next steps towards women rights' in the region."
A Pakistani expat in Abu Dhabi, Ayisha Saeed, said women in the kingdom will finally be able to do "things on their own".
She has been to Saudi twice and plans on driving there next year after the removal of the ban has come into effect.
"At least now women in Saudi will be able to do something on their own," Saeed said. "Driving will be very useful for them. They will be able to do their work on their own, such as picking up their kids from school. And, yes, if I get a chance to go Saudi again, I'll definitely drive there."
Driving force behind campaign hails decision
A Saudi Arabian woman jailed for daring to get behind the wheel was overjoyed on Wednesday with the "historic" news that women will be free to drive cars in her homeland, but said a male guardianship system is still repressing women.
Manal Al Sharif became the face of the women's driving movement after making headlines in 2011 when she posted a video of herself on Youtube driving in Saudi Arabia, the only country at the time that banned women from driving.
Two days later she was arrested and jailed for about a week.
For more than 25 years, women activists have campaigned to be allowed to drive, defiantly taking to the road, petitioning the King and posting videos of themselves at the wheel on social media. The protests brought arrests.
Now living in Australia, Al Sharif was delighted when the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday said women must be allowed to drive, with the order to be implemented by June 2018.
But the campaigner said the battle is not over, with a major setback for women in Saudi Arabia that needs to "disappear".
"Abolishing the male guardianship - period. You can not empower women to become anything in your country if she still needs a man's permission," said Al Sharif, 38, a divorced mother with a job, her own car.
The male guardianship system requires women to get permission from a male relative before travelling overseas, getting married, or seeking medical care, and gives Saudi women a legal status that resembles that of a minor.
"My government until today did not name an age where I am an adult. That is the first thing they should do," Al Sharif told Reuters Foundation by phone from Australia.
Although Al Sharif said more needs to be done to empower women in the kingdom, she did not belittle the driving breakthrough.
"This is huge. There is nothing really more difficult than this fight for women to drive because it touches every single woman." said al-Sharif. "This is the one that emancipates them."
Reactions on social media have been mixed and Al Sharif, who is no stranger to threats and online harassment, believes this newfound freedom for women will not come easily.
- sarwat@khaleejtimes.com
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