Brig. Saleh Al-Najim, the head of a Kuwaiti delegation, said here yesterday that the traffic system in Kuwait does not grant licenses to Saudi women without the consent of their guardians. The statement came at a meeting of traffic managers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, which concluded here. He said this law was drafted due to Saudi Arabia’s reservations on the issue of women driving.

He said: “Saudi women wishing to obtain a driver’s license in Kuwait must have the consent of their guardian. This goes for all Saudi women, young or old, single or married.”

Al-Najim added: “We know of reservations on the issue of Saudi women driving in their own country and that their guardians sometimes do not agree to them driving. It is in light of this that we refuse to grant drivers' licenses without the knowledge of the family."

Traffic directors in the GCC yesterday agreed to create bilateral and collective e-linking between the Gulf states in order to facilitate the exchange of information and vehicle data, in addition to the transfer of property without the need for discharge papers.

Gen. Abdulrahman Al-Muqbil, director-general of the Directorate of Traffic in Saudi Arabia, said the key recommendations that resulted from the traffic managers’ meeting yesterday include the approval of an electronic link between Gulf states proposed by the UAE and Saudi Arabia, who are represented by the National Information Center and the e-government transactions program Yusur.