Saudi princess speaks out in support of lifting the country's ban on women drivers



The wife of one of Saudi Arabia ’s richest men says she is ready to get behind the wheel as soon as the ban on women drivers is lifted.

Princess Amira al-Taweel, who is married to global tycoon Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, told the Saudi daily Al-Watan that she already drives when she travels abroad.

'Certainly I'm ready to drive a car,' said Amira, whose husband is a nephew of Saudi King Abdallah and is ranked as the world's 13th-richest person by Forbes magazine.

Women in Saudi Arabia are currently banned from driving because of the risk of creating 'sinful temptation'

'I have an international driver's license, and I drive a car in all the countries I travel to.'

Women in Saudi Arabia have not been permitted to drive since the establishment of the state in 1932, but the government is set to lift its ban and issue a decree by the end of the year.

However if the ban is lifted, there are likely to be hurdles such as obtaining licences and insurance which must also be overcome.

Princess al-Taweel said: 'I prefer driving a car with my sister or friend next to me instead of being with a driver who is not (related to me).’

The prohibition forces families to hire live-in drivers, and those who cannot afford the $300-$400 a month for a driver must rely on male relatives to drive them to work, school, shopping or the doctor.

But change will be difficult in this ultraconservative society, where many believe that women at the wheel create situations for sinful temptation.

They argue that women drivers will be free to leave home alone, will unduly expose their eyes while driving and will interact with male strangers, such as traffic police and mechanics.