Long known for its highly patriarchal laws that limit women’s freedom, Saudi Arabia may be turning a page. In a first, the ultraconservative kingdom issued driver’s licenses to 10 women in early June, several weeks before the authorities planned to officially end the ban on women driving.

The decision, championed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, follows the relaxing of other restrictions imposed on Saudi women. While the law still requires women to get permission from a male relative for most activities outside the home, the kingdom now allows women to start businesses and enter sports stadiums on their own.

These reforms are being instituted on the heels of a broader societal shift. Women in the kingdom have started entering professions once barred to them, and more women than men now earn university degrees.

But Prince Mohammed, 32, has made clear that dissent will not be tolerated. The latest change has coincided with the arrest and jailing of the women who have challenged the ban on driving.