Saudi Gazette report



DAMMAM — The cost of driving lessons for women range between SR2,000 and SR3,000 as compared to SR450 for men, according to the head of the Saudi Society for Traffic Safety Dr. Abdulhameed Al-Mejel.



Driving schools for women will be completely different from those of men and will be run by female trainers and supervisors who are highly-qualified, Al-Mejel was quoted as saying by Al-Watan Arabic daily on Tuesday.



He said the fees will be commensurate with the quality of driving lessons and training provided to women.



“Many women have participated in awareness workshops and forums and shown a high-level of preparedness and compliance with the traffic and safety rules,” Al-Mejel said.



Around 600 women have so far enrolled in training courses and are being given driving lessons.



They are provided with all the information they need to operate a vehicle and observe safety rules.



Meanwhile, Princess Abeer Bint Faisal, the wife of the emir of the Eastern Province, opened the Women Driving Awareness Forum under the theme “My Driving...My Will” on Monday.



The forum will continue for four days at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University in Dammam.



The event is organized by the Saudi Society for Traffic Safety and focuses on preparing women for driving.