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Balloons and Selfie's: Women Driving in Saudi Arabia

Published June 25th, 2018 - 10:14 GMT

A small sign of social transformation in the Kingdom came on Sept. 26, 2017, with a royal decree lifting the decades-long ban on women driving.

Women throughout Saudi Arabia waited for the stroke of midnight, turned the keys in the ignition, fired up their engines — and hit the road to a bright new future.

Several diplomats and rights activists have hailed the landmark decision of the Saudi leadership allowing women to drive, which will cut reliance on foreign workers and boost job growth in the Kingdom.

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A Saudi woman and her friends celebrate her first time driving on a main street of Khobar City on her way to Kingdom of Bahrain on June 24, 2018. HUSSAIN RADWAN / AFP

A Saudi woman and her friends celebrate her first time driving on a main street of Khobar City on her way to Kingdom of Bahrain on June 24, 2018. HUSSAIN RADWAN / AFP

A Palestinian woman residing in Saudi Arabia uses an electronic driving simulator during a go-cart driving workshop for women in the Saudi capital Riyadh on June 21, 2018. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP

A Palestinian woman residing in Saudi Arabia uses an electronic driving simulator during a go-cart driving workshop for women in the Saudi capital Riyadh on June 21, 2018. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP

A Saudi woman flashes v-sign as she uses a go-cart during a driving workshop for women in the Saudi capital Riyadh on June 21, 2018. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP

A Saudi woman flashes v-sign as she uses a go-cart during a driving workshop for women in the Saudi capital Riyadh on June 21, 2018. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP

A Saudi woman uses a driving simulator during a driving workshop for women in the Saudi capital Riyadh on June 21, 2018. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP

A Saudi woman uses a driving simulator during a driving workshop for women in the Saudi capital Riyadh on June 21, 2018. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP

A Saudi woman takes selfi as she uses a go-cart during a driving workshop for women in the Saudi capital Riyadh on June 21, 2018. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP

A Saudi woman takes selfi as she uses a go-cart during a driving workshop for women in the Saudi capital Riyadh on June 21, 2018. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP

With the kids in the back - great to see women driving in Saudi. But not to forget that several of those who campaigned for this remain in prison. (Twitter)

With the kids in the back - great to see women driving in Saudi. But not to forget that several of those who campaigned for this remain in prison. (Twitter)

Aseel Al-Hamad will drive a Lotus Renault E20 on a lap of the circuit at Le Castellet before the race - on the day that a ban on women driving in the Gulf Kingdom ends (Twitter)

Aseel Al-Hamad will drive a Lotus Renault E20 on a lap of the circuit at Le Castellet before the race - on the day that a ban on women driving in the Gulf Kingdom ends (Twitter)

Police distributed flowers to women drivers on their first day of driving in the country. (Twitter)

Police distributed flowers to women drivers on their first day of driving in the country. (Twitter)

A Saudi woman and her friends celebrate her first time driving (Facebook)

A Saudi woman and her friends celebrate her first time driving (Facebook)

Women in Saudi Arabia are no longer restricted from driving (Facebook)

Women in Saudi Arabia are no longer restricted from driving (Facebook)

A Saudi woman and her friends celebrate her first time driving on a main street of Khobar City on her way to Kingdom of Bahrain on June 24, 2018. HUSSAIN RADWAN / AFP
A Palestinian woman residing in Saudi Arabia uses an electronic driving simulator during a go-cart driving workshop for women in the Saudi capital Riyadh on June 21, 2018. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP
A Saudi woman flashes v-sign as she uses a go-cart during a driving workshop for women in the Saudi capital Riyadh on June 21, 2018. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP
A Saudi woman uses a driving simulator during a driving workshop for women in the Saudi capital Riyadh on June 21, 2018. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP
A Saudi woman takes selfi as she uses a go-cart during a driving workshop for women in the Saudi capital Riyadh on June 21, 2018. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP
With the kids in the back - great to see women driving in Saudi. But not to forget that several of those who campaigned for this remain in prison. (Twitter)
Aseel Al-Hamad will drive a Lotus Renault E20 on a lap of the circuit at Le Castellet before the race - on the day that a ban on women driving in the Gulf Kingdom ends (Twitter)
Police distributed flowers to women drivers on their first day of driving in the country. (Twitter)
A Saudi woman and her friends celebrate her first time driving (Facebook)
Women in Saudi Arabia are no longer restricted from driving (Facebook)
A Saudi woman and her friends celebrate her first time driving on a main street of Khobar City on her way to Kingdom of Bahrain on June 24, 2018. HUSSAIN RADWAN / AFP
A Saudi woman and her friends celebrate her first time driving on a main street of Khobar City on her way to Kingdom of Bahrain on June 24, 2018. HUSSAIN RADWAN / AFP
A Palestinian woman residing in Saudi Arabia uses an electronic driving simulator during a go-cart driving workshop for women in the Saudi capital Riyadh on June 21, 2018. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP
A Palestinian woman residing in Saudi Arabia uses an electronic driving simulator during a go-cart driving workshop for women in the Saudi capital Riyadh on June 21, 2018. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP
A Saudi woman flashes v-sign as she uses a go-cart during a driving workshop for women in the Saudi capital Riyadh on June 21, 2018. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP
A Saudi woman flashes v-sign as she uses a go-cart during a driving workshop for women in the Saudi capital Riyadh on June 21, 2018. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP
A Saudi woman uses a driving simulator during a driving workshop for women in the Saudi capital Riyadh on June 21, 2018. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP
A Saudi woman uses a driving simulator during a driving workshop for women in the Saudi capital Riyadh on June 21, 2018. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP
A Saudi woman takes selfi as she uses a go-cart during a driving workshop for women in the Saudi capital Riyadh on June 21, 2018. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP
A Saudi woman takes selfi as she uses a go-cart during a driving workshop for women in the Saudi capital Riyadh on June 21, 2018. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP
With the kids in the back - great to see women driving in Saudi. But not to forget that several of those who campaigned for this remain in prison. (Twitter)
With the kids in the back - great to see women driving in Saudi. But not to forget that several of those who campaigned for this remain in prison. (Twitter)
Aseel Al-Hamad will drive a Lotus Renault E20 on a lap of the circuit at Le Castellet before the race - on the day that a ban on women driving in the Gulf Kingdom ends (Twitter)
Aseel Al-Hamad will drive a Lotus Renault E20 on a lap of the circuit at Le Castellet before the race - on the day that a ban on women driving in the Gulf Kingdom ends (Twitter)
Police distributed flowers to women drivers on their first day of driving in the country. (Twitter)
Police distributed flowers to women drivers on their first day of driving in the country. (Twitter)
A Saudi woman and her friends celebrate her first time driving (Facebook)
A Saudi woman and her friends celebrate her first time driving (Facebook)
Women in Saudi Arabia are no longer restricted from driving (Facebook)
Women in Saudi Arabia are no longer restricted from driving (Facebook)

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