Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has issued a historic royal decree granting driving licenses for women in the kingdom as of next June.
The royal decree issued on Tuesday also ordered the establishment of a high-level committee of involving the ministries of internal affairs, finance, labor and social development. They will be tasked with studying the arrangements of the edict within 30 days and to ensure the full implementation of the order by June 2018.
“The royal decree will implement the provisions of traffic regulations, including the issuance of driving licenses for men and women alike,” the Saudi Press Agency said.
“This is a great victory for many Saudi women. This was the one file and issue which Saudi women have fought not just years, but decades for. Every time we asked, we were told the time was not right. When we asked those previous from this men and women who said we didn’t need to drive, King Salman,” Latifa Shaalan, a Saudi female member of Saudi Arabia’s Shoura Council, told Al Arabiya.
In a Tweet United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed the decision as well as the US State Department commended the Kingdom on the move, calling it a positive step.
Senior scholars see no impediment to women driving in Saudi Arabia
The royal historic decree issued on Tuesday granting driving licenses for women in Saudi Arabia confirmed that the majority of the members of the senior scholars’ council saw no impediment to women driving.
The royal decree stated that Saudi Arabia will implement the provisions of traffic regulations, including the issuance of driving licenses for men and women alike.
A high-level committee will also be established, involving the ministries of internal affairs, finance, labor and social development. They will be tasked with studying the arrangements to enforce the new law.