A Middle Eastern taxi app has signed up almost 1,000 Saudi women for training in anticipation of the ban on women driving being lifted later this year.

The new drivers have been hired by Careem, a UAE-based ride hailing company with millions of users in neighbouring Saudi Arabia.

“We are very excited about this June, it is a big milestone for the country. We have already started training female [drivers] and we hope to get up to 100,000 on board within a year,” co-founder Magnus Olsson said in an interview with Thomson Reuters’ Zawya last week.

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“We foresee very strong growth in Saudi Arabia.”

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, at the behest of his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has issued a raft of royal decrees in recent months designed to liberalise some of the Islamic kingdom’s conservative laws.

The most high profile announcement will allow women to drive in the conservative Islamic kingdom from 24 June.

Saudi Arabia opens its first women-only hotel Show all 4 1 /4 Saudi Arabia opens its first women-only hotel Saudi Arabia opens its first women-only hotel A room at the Luthan Hotel and Spa in the Saudi Capital Riyadh HASSAN AMMAR/AFP/Getty Images Saudi Arabia opens its first women-only hotel A receptionist at Luthan Hotel and Spa poses for pictures during the opening ceremony in the Saudi Capital Riyadh HASSAN AMMAR/AFP/Getty Images Saudi Arabia opens its first women-only hotel A Saudi woman explores the new hotel HASSAN AMMAR/AFP/Getty Images Saudi Arabia opens its first women-only hotel Two women attend the hotel's opening ceremony HASSAN AMMAR/AFP/Getty Images

The rapid reforms do not not fundamentally change the guardianship system which effectively makes Saudi women second-class citizens - but the ability to drive will give them an unprecedented taste of freedom.

Public transport is basically non-existent in the Kingdom, which to date has given ride hailing apps such as Careem and Uber a captive market.

Up to 70 per cent of Careem users in the country are women, and 80 per cent of Uber rides are ordered by women. Last year, it was reported that the Ministry of Labour was working to subsidise app rides for working Saudi women.

Saudi Arabia suffers from high unemployment, which climbed to 12.8 per cent last year. Of those jobseekers, 80 per cent are women.

The ability to drive will widen women’s access to the job market - and allow them to become paid drivers themselves if they so wish.

Careem training sessions are already being held in Riyadh, Jeddah and al Kohbar for women who have valid driving licenses obtained abroad.

Saudi Arabia struggles to employ its most-educated women Show all 4 1 /4 Saudi Arabia struggles to employ its most-educated women Saudi Arabia struggles to employ its most-educated women SAUDI WOMEN122.jpg SAUDI WOMEN: Tahany Omar, 36, has a Masters of Business Administration from the US but has found the job market challenging in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; she works in an investment firm, but not in management. Washington Post photo by Linda Davidson Saudi Arabia struggles to employ its most-educated women SAUDI WOMEN124.jpg A young Saudi woman in her 20's shops for dresses on the women-only level at Kingdom Centre Mall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in October. Unless designated as a women's only area, most shopping in Saudi Arabia is staffed by men. Washington Post photo by Linda Davidson Saudi Arabia struggles to employ its most-educated women SAUDI WOMEN123.jpg Saudi men reflected in the mirrors of the Al-Faisaliyah Center viewing level which overlooks the expansive city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Washington Post photo by Linda Davidson Saudi Arabia struggles to employ its most-educated women SAUDI WOMEN121.jpg SAUDI WOMEN: Zainab Al Talib, left, assists legal consultant Tala Al-Hejailan at the law offices of DLA Piper in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 8. Hejailan is a lawyer, but cannot practise law in Saudi Arabia, which will not grant licences to women. Washington Post photo by Linda Davidson

Careem - which operates in 13 Muslim countries and is valued at around $1 billion - hopes to recruit 100,000 female staff in Saudi Arabia in total as part of its expansion into the market, Mr Olsson said.