Meet the first Indian woman to get Saudi driving license

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Meet the first Indian woman to get Saudi driving license

Dammam - She hails Kerala and is working as a nurse in Dammam for the last nine years.

By Web Report

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Published: Thu 5 Jul 2018, 12:37 PM

Last updated: Thu 5 Jul 2018, 2:50 PM

On June 24, Saudi Arabia witnessed women drivers zooming past on the Kingdom's roads after the historic decision to allow women to drive. Several women in Saudi Arabia were issued driving licences after taking required driving tests. And, one of them was Saramma Thomas.

Saramma received her driving licence on June 28 and became the first Indian woman to get official permit to drive in Saudi Arabia.

Saramma hails from Pathanamthitta in Indian state of Kerala and is working as a nurse at Jubail King Abdulaziz naval base military hospital at Dammam for the last nine years.

"I hope this becomes an inspiration for more women to drive here in Saudi. Many women called to tell me they felt motivated after watching me drive," Saramma quoted as saying in the New Minute.

On September 2, 2017, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, issued the royal proclamation allowing women to drive after persistent demands from various quarters in this regard.

Saudi Arabia now has five centres dedicated to train women to drive where trainers are Saudi women who obtained their driving licences from abroad. Women in the country can now drive vehicles carrying lady teachers, women's taxis, and school buses of girl's schools. They can even operate car rental services.


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