Saudi women may take the wheel
Some 60% of Saudi Arabians believe their women should be allowed to drive, according to a newspaper poll.
The results come just two days after Saudi Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz said the Saudi government had no objections to allowing woman drivers as long as “their fathers, husbands, and brothers” approved.
Polling methods, including the size of the sample and whether it included women, were not provided.
But publication of the results in one of the kingdom’s newspapers, which practise self-censorship and does not deal with issues contrary to the policies of the royal family, suggested high-level approval.
Saudi King Abdullah, who assumed the throne after the August death of his half brother Fahd, is considered a reformist and has repeatedly said he wants to improve the lives of Saudi women.
In November, two Saudi businesswoman were elected to the chamber of commerce in Jiddah, the country’s second largest city. They became the first female elected officials in the history of the country.
Saudi women face greater restrictions than in most Muslim nations. They are not allowed to drive, vote or stand in municipal elections.
They are forbidden from talking to men they do not know and may not leave home without head-to-toe coverings.
