In September 2017, Saudi Arabia lifted the ban on women driving. Last June, the country began issuing driver’s licenses to women who now participate on an equal footing with men on the kingdom’s roads.
As economist Saad al Dusri told Sputnik, “these four months during which Saudi women have been driving have contributed to the economic growth of the kingdom.”
“First of all, more women are now working because they no longer depend on transportation. Then, the money that a Saudi family used to pay drivers can now be used for other things. And finally, the money that foreign drivers have been sending to their home countries is now in the kingdom,” the expert said.
The economist went on to say that in the first quarter of 2018, the number of drivers in the kingdom had decreased by 28,000 people, and now there are 1,357,228 drivers in the country.
“In absolute terms, over the past six months, about 327 million Saudi riyals ($86.5 million) were not earned by the country’s drivers. Now, car dealers, workshops, insurance companies, and banks receive additional money. The number of drivers, especially those who came to work for a family, will continue to decline. With the development of the Internet and smartphones, Saudis prefer using taxi apps like Uber,” Saad al Dusri said.
“At first, I was worried a lot about how men would behave toward a female driver; but actually I shouldn’t have as male drivers have treated us quite well. They support us and help if necessary; they are really polite,” Sarah said. In particular, the woman recalled the work of the traffic police. “Inspectors help us a lot and encourage us. If there’s an accident on the road, they can quickly solve the problem.”
