Saudi Arabia allows women to drive

One of the world's most conservative countries, Saudi Arabia, has confirmed it will overturn a long-held law which prohibited women from driving.

Women in Saudi Arabia will be given permission to obtain their driver's licence from June 2018, after King Salman issued a royal decree.

Currently it is illegal for a woman to drive a car in the country without the permission of a male guardian, and several activists in recent times have been arrested – and jailed – for doing so.

The "guardianship" laws in Saudi Arabia generally give men power over female blood relatives. However there will now be special dispensation in regards to women obtaining a driver's licence.

Reports indicate the overturning of the law is likely to face stiff opposition from some quarters in the highly patriarchal society whose religious scholars and clerics, appointed by the Saudi King, help form laws in the country.

Religious leaders have agreed to allow the government to regulate drivers licences for women. However the government says it will require special training for the police force to interact with women, in a country where men and women who have no familial relationship rarely intermingle.

Many Saudis believe it's inappropriate for women to drive because male drivers would struggle to deal with women sitting so close, or that it would lead to promiscuity. Nevertheless, young Saudis and professionals of both genders are expected to be delighted at the news.

Government officials are hoping the change will also improve the economy. Currently a lot of Saudi women have to spend a large part of their salaries on male drivers to get to and from work.

The shift in religious policy has been influenced by Crown Price Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi King's 32-year-old son, and is expected to provide a public relations boost for the Middle Eastern country.