The ban on female motorists in Saudi Arabia was officially lifted on June 24, resulting in thousands of women taking to the streets, as well as waves of celebratory messages and photos flooding sites, walls, and newsfeeds online. To mark this milestone day, publishers around the world worked around the clock to provide comprehensive coverage of the day as it unfolded and, online, the excitement was palpable. It felt like every move made and every moment being experienced by Saudi women drivers across the Kingdom on June 24 was captured and shared on social media, with hashtags on the momentous day trending globally, amongst them the number one hashtag #المراه_السعوديه_تسوق (Saudi Women Drive).
Amidst the tide of conversations taking place on Twittersphere regarding the landmark event, there was one tweet that received significant attention: A post that highlighted not just a true act of kindness but stood as a symbol of new beginnings for Saudi Arabia. AboutHer.com shared a tweet in the early hours of the 24th about Saudi officers who handed out roses to first-time female drivers. The post immediately went viral, shared tens of thousands of times across the world by renowned news journalists from pulishers such as The Huffington Post, Reuters, The Guardian, The New York Times and Associated Press; members of Saudi Arabia’s royal family such as Princess Reema Bint Bandar Al Saud, local and global celebrities, activists, comedians and politicians from every corner of the globe.
#Saudi police officers hand out roses to female drivers on landmark day. #HerDayHerWay #AllAboutHer #المراه_السعوديه_تسوق pic.twitter.com/0soTG3lh70
— About Her (@AboutHerOFCL) 23 juin 2018
The tweet, which in the first 48 hours was liked over 15 thousand times and retweeted almost as much, has now become the most liked, most quoted, and most retweeted tweet, securing it the number one position as the most popular tweet from the number one trending hashtag globally on June 24.
According to PwC Middle East (PricewaterhouseCoopers), more than three million Saudi women could receive driving licenses by 2020. The decision to lift the decades-old driving ban, which was announced last year, is one of the most prominent moves by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Under his leadership, Saudi Arabia has been focusing on realizing Vision 2030, an ambitious plan to diversify the Kingdom’s economy and transform its society, a key part of which involves reforms targeted towards improving the lives of women in the country by providing them with more support, mobility, and economic opportunities.
More from About Her's coverage from June 24, 2018:
#Saudi Arabia, June 24, 2018: Relive the historic day in under two minutes. #HerDayHerWay #AllAboutHer #الرياض_الان #اخبار_جده pic.twitter.com/ROZnOVR3Xh
— About Her (@AboutHerOFCL) 25 juin 2018
#Saudi Olympian, Kariman Abuljadayel (@TheKariman) takes us on a ride around town as she celebrates the landmark day — her way. #HerDayHerWay #AllAboutHer #المراه_السعوديه_تقود_السياره pic.twitter.com/inN6lFkd1s
— About Her (@AboutHerOFCL) 24 juin 2018
Aseel Al-Hamad, the first woman to become a board member of the #Saudi Arabian Motor Federation, celebrated her first day of driving in the Kingdom with a lap of the national circuit. #AllAboutHer #HerDayHerWay #المراه_السعوديه_تقود_السياره pic.twitter.com/bWggFOdQ6G
— About Her (@AboutHerOFCL) 24 juin 2018
Today, Saudi Arabia ushers in a new era. #HerDayHerWay #AllAboutHer #المراه_السعوديه_تسوق pic.twitter.com/jFTnlu9IgW
— About Her (@AboutHerOFCL) 23 juin 2018
”It’s like seeing my city from a different view.” — Majdooleen al-Ateeq said of being in the driver’s seat for once in #Riyadh. CC: @SarahDadouch #المراه_السعوديه_تسوق pic.twitter.com/G4JLIlJIdR
— About Her (@AboutHerOFCL) 23 juin 2018
“Passed by a police checkpoint. They gave me the biggest smile and waved us through.” — Laura Alho of @BlueAbaya on her first drive around Riyadh. #المراه_السعوديه_تسوق pic.twitter.com/KbXh6alSVw
— About Her (@AboutHerOFCL) 23 juin 2018
Saudi Arabia has overturned its driving ban on female motorists. https://t.co/UkDd3szAet
— Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) 24 juin 2018
