June 24th, 2018 marks a historic date for Saudi Arabia as the last ban in the world on women driving is lifted
24 June 2018
| Last updated on 24 June 2018
Numerous women in Saudi Arabia stayed up on Saturday night to become some of the first women to legally drive in the Kingdom. Today, June 24th, 2018 marks the day on which a royal decree comes into effect allowing women to legally drive in the Kingdom.
Social media has been flooded with videos and photos of women driving and celebrating this historic day in Saudi Arabia. Police officers joined in the celebrations by handing out roses to female drivers just after midnight to congratulate them on being allowed to drive.
Image Credit: Gulf News
Numerous pink parking spaces have been appearing in major cities and communities especially for women. Events encouraging women to learn how to drive and focussing on road safety have also been taking place over the weekend with the slogan: ““Tawakkali wa Intaliqi”, or ‘Have Faith and Drive.”
New sexual harassment laws have also been set in place last month in order to ensure the safety of women driving in Saudi. Women have however been cautioned to still dress modestly while they are driving.
This loyal decree is expected to help create numerous new opportunities for women and help improve the country’s economy. Mohammed Al-Khunaizi, a member of the Shoura Council told Arab News: “It will empower women and also change the employment landscape of the country.” He further continued to say that “The female driving will help create more and diverse job opportunities for women, a move which is in line with the Saudi Vision 2030.”
SEE ALSO: Changes You Can Expect To See In Saudi Arabia In 2018
In celebration of this historic day in Saudi Arabia, special phone and desktop wallpapers have been released for download while artists have released song aimed at specifically today.
Here are some of our favourite social media posts:
