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Saudi Arabia allows women to drive, in historic move

The policy could socially liberate women — heavily reliant on foreign drivers and ride-sharing apps — and also boost the economy at a time of low oil prices by increasing their participation in the workforce, experts say.

The announcement follows a dazzling gender-mixed celebration of Saudi national day at the weekend, the first of its kind, which aimed to spotlight the kingdom’s reform drive despite a backlash from religious conservatives.

Men and women danced in the streets to drums and electronic music, in scenes that are a stunning anomaly in a country known for its tight gender segregation and an austere vision of Islam.

Women were also allowed into a sports stadium — previously a male-only arena — to watch a concert, a move that chimes with the government’s Vision 2030 plan for social and economic reform.

With more than half the country aged under 25, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the king’s son and the architect of Vision 2030, is seen as catering to the aspirations of younger people.

– ‘A great step’ –

US President Donald Trump welcomed the decision as “a positive step toward promoting the rights and opportunities of women in Saudi Arabia”, according to a White House statement.

The US State Department called it a “great step in the right direction”, echoing a similar comment from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Tuesday’s announcement comes at a crucial time for Saudi Arabia.

The oil kingpin is in a battle for regional influence with arch-rival Iran, bogged down in a controversial military intervention in neighbouring Yemen and at loggerheads with fellow US Gulf ally Qatar.

“Allowing women to drive is the biggest PR win that Saudi Arabia — and Prince Mohammed — could have in a single swoop,” said Jane Kinninmont, from London’s Chatham House.

Already viewed as the de facto ruler controlling all the major levers of government, heir apparent Prince Mohammed, 32, is seen as stamping out traces of internal dissent before any formal transfer of power from his 81-year-old father.

His gambit to loosen social restrictions, which has so far not translated into more political and civil rights, seeks to ease criticism over a recent political crackdown, some analysts say.

Authorities this month arrested more than two dozen people, including influential clerics and activists, in what critics decried as a coordinated crackdown.

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