Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where a woman can go to prison for driving a car. Manal Al Sharif dared to break the law, on camera.
But today that will change.
Women in Saudi Arabia will be allowed to drive starting from June 2018, after a royal decree by Saudi Arabia King Salman. Al-Sharif, an organiser of the Women2Drive campaign said on Twitter that Saudi Arabia would "never be the same again".
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An announcement was made at the United Nations by Saudi Arabia's permanent representative. Here is the video of the Saudi UN representative announcing it. Saudi News Agency release the state and full text of the "Royal Order to Adopt Provisions of Traffic Law, Executive regulations, including Issuance of Driving Licenses for Males, Females, alike"
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According to Saudi Press Agency:
"A Supreme Order was issued here today, addressed to the Minister of the Interior, which reads as follows:
We refer to the negative consequences of not allowing women to drive vehicles and the positive aspects of allowing it to do so, taking into consideration the application of the necessary legal controls and adherence to them.
We also refer to the view of the majority of the members of the senior scholars on the driving of women of vehicles that the legitimacy of this is in terms of origin, is permissibility that the views of the reservation is focused on considerations related to blocking the possible pretexts that do not reach the certainty and the predominance of the thought do not see impediment to allow it to drive vehicles, in the light of finding guarantees of legitimacy and order necessary to avoid those pretexts, even if they were within the scope of doubtful possibility."
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The Saudi Press Agency continues:
"The state is - with the help of God - guardian of the values and of legitimacy, it is the preservation and care in the list of priorities, whether in this matter or another, will not hesitate to take all that would maintain the security and safety of society.
We adopt the application of the provisions of the Traffic Law and its Executive Regulations - including the issuance of driving licenses - to both males and females, and to form a high-level committee of ministries of (internal affairs, finance, labor and social development) to study the necessary arrangements for enforcement; the implementation shall be - God willing - as of 10/10/1439 AH, in accordance with the approved Sharia and regulations and completion of what is required by it."
Screenshot of the news from BBC, Al Alrabiya and Arab News of the Saudi King Salman Royal Decree allowing Saudi Arabian Women to Drive above and below
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