Saudi authorities issue thousands of licenses to women since driving ban was lifted

The ban on women drivers in Saudi Arabia was lifted in June, 2018. (File/Shutterstock)

• Many thousands more women have said they will also apply for their licenses
• The ban, that was lifted on June 24, was seen as a significant change in Saudi law

DUBAI: Tens of thousands of women in Saudi Arabia have received their licenses since the driving ban was lifted, according to the Kingdom’s General Director of Traffic.

So far there have been 40,000 licenses issued since the ban was lifted on June 24, 2018, after King Salman issued a royal decree on Sept. 26, 2017, ordering an end to the ban.

According a YouGov survey taken in august 2018, 24 percent of women had applied for a driving license since June 2018 when the ban was lifted, and 61 percent who hadn’t applied, said they would in the future.

“We have plans to create 14 driving schools for women in different regions to help ease the waiting list for women to get the license,” Mohammed Al-Bassami said.