King
Salman of Saudi Arabia has issued a decree ordering that women be
allowed to drive, Saudi state media has reported. Under the
conservative kingdom’s previous laws, women were banned from
driving.
The
decree orders the Saudi interior minister to draft and adopt
necessary amendments to the traffic regulations and to form a special
commission consisting of the ministers of interior, finance, labor
and development to “study the necessary arrangements” needed for
the implementation of the new rules, as reported by the state SPA
news agency.
The
new rules are expected to come into force on June 24, 2018, according
to the decree.
The
decree states that the move must "apply and adhere to the
necessary Sharia standards,” adding that most members of the
Council of Senior Religious Scholars had approved the new
regulations.
The
US was quick to welcome the move with State Department spokeswoman
Heather Nauert telling journalists Washington is “happy”
and that it's “a great step in the right direction.”
Saudi
women would not need permission from a male guardian to obtain a
driving license after the new rules take effect, Saudi Arabia's
ambassador to the US said. He added that Saudi authorities believe
the time has come for a change as the Arab country now has a “young,
dynamic and open society.”
Full
report:
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