Time for women to drive: Saudi prince voices support, wants ban to go

Saudi Arabia has some of the most strictest curbs and is the only country in the world where women are not allowed to drive.
Time for women to drive: Saudi prince voices support, wants ban to go
Time for women to drive: Saudi prince voices support, wants ban to go
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Advocating an immediate end to the ban on women’s driving, a billionaire Saudi prince has said that repealing the law was necessary for women’s rights and was an economic necessity.

"Stop the debate: Time for women to drive," Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said on his official Twitter account, @Alwaleed_Talal, as per a report by Khaleej Times.

A member of the Saudi royal family, Alwaleed chairs Kingdom Holding Co., which has interests in US banking giant Citigroup and the Euro Disney theme park.

Saudi Arabia has some of the most strictest curbs and is the only country in the world where women are not allowed to drive.

"Preventing a woman from driving a car is today an issue of rights similar to the one that forbade her from receiving an education or having an independent identity," Alwaleed said.

"They are all unjust acts by a traditional society, far more restrictive than what is lawfully allowed by the precepts of religion."

Alwaleed also pointed out the “economic costs” of women relying on taxis or private drivers, because public transport is yet to take off in the kingdom.

The Saudi economy loses billions of dollars due to the use of foreign drivers, Alwaleed said.

He assessed that families spend 3,800 riyals ($1,000,940 euros) on average on a driver per month which could be added to household incomes.

Alwaleed said that even if husbands were to transport the women, it would lead to loss in productivity at the workplace as they would be leaving the office temporarily.

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