(Washington, DC) – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced today that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud issued a Decree authorizing the issuance of drivers’ licenses for women in the Kingdom. The Decree will take effect June 2018 for the issuance of drivers’ licenses to women.  During the preparatory period until June of 2018, the relevant agencies in the Kingdom are instructed to make all the necessary changes to the current rules and regulations to implement the order.  This also includes developing the infrastructure and institutional capacity, such as expanded licensing facilities and driver education programs, to accommodate millions of new drivers.

His Royal Highness Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States, said, “Saudi Arabia is changing.  We have dynamic leadership.  We are implementing our Vision2030 initiative through which we are empowering women and youth to play a greater role in the Saudi economy and take better advantage of the increasing opportunities that result from the Kingdom’s modernization and economic reform initiatives.”

Ambassador Khalid added, “The issue of women driving was never a religious or a cultural issue. In fact, the majority of the members of the Council of Senior Scholars in the Kingdom agree that Islam does not ban women from driving. This was a societal issue.  Today, we have a young and vibrant society and the time had come to make this move.

Over the course of our 87-year history as a nation, change and progress has been a constant.  And today, through Vision2030, that change is moving at an even greater pace, in line with our religion and values,  as we pursue our vision for a vibrant society with strong roots, a thriving economy less dependent on oil and an ambitious nation that can responsibly contribute to the security and prosperity of the world around us.”