The King of Saudi Arabia has issued a decree allowing women to drive,state media has said.
The
order issued by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud,overturned a
longstanding policy which had become a powerful symbol of oppression.The
conservative kingdom is currently the only country where the act of
women driving is forbidden.
The move was announced on television
and also by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the royal decree
mandating the creation of a ministerial body to give advice on the
practicalities of the edict within 30 days and a full implementation of
the order by June 2018.
The royal decree will implement the
provisions of traffic regulations,including the issuance of driving
licences for men and women alike,” the state-run Saudi Press Agency
said.
Saudi Arabia is a Muslim monarchy ruled according to Sharia
law,with the royal decree stipulating that the new rules must “apply
and adhere to the necessary Sharia standards”. State media said that the
Council of Senior Religious Scholars,the country’s highest religious
authority that advises the King on religious matters had approved the
permissibility of the decree.
