This week, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) issued a report entitled “Saudi Women: Partners in Success,” highlighting the role and advancement of women across various economic, social, educational, health, cultural, and recreational fields. One of its key findings has been the increased mobility of women following the rescinding of the decades-old driving ban on female motorists, which has resulted in a staggering 174,624 driving licenses being issued to women in the Kingdom to date.
The results of the study show that Riyad, Mecca, and the Eastern Province are the regions in Saudi Arabia with the highest percentage of licenses issued to women. The report also highlighted that Saudi women over the age of 15 make up 49 percent of the total population of people in the Kingdom are over 25 years of age, and that the average age of Saudi women is 28 years old.
From interactive simulators to smart classrooms and an online test room, this one-of-a-kind driving academy comes at a time when women across Saudi Arabia are taking to the streets in incredible numbershttps://t.co/iyFEwSuDZb
— About Her (@AboutHerOFCL) March 8, 2020
As the country continues to issue more driving licenses to women across the Kingdom, the demand for female driving instructors continues to rise, an indication that the Kingdom’s women are as determined as ever to take to the streets in incredible numbers. Earlier this month, driving schools across Saudi Arabia saw waves of women signing up for courses, and one school in Taif has had to put out a call for more female driving instructors to meet the rising numbers of potential students.
Following the ascension of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to his role in 2017, Saudi Arabia announced the decree to allow women to get behind the wheel which was enforced fully in 2018. Since then, women across the Kingdom have taken to the streets – and consequently many industries and sectors – and have become a normal sight to see across all of the country’s major cities.
