RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Monday began issuing its first driving licences to women in decades, state media reported.

“The first group of women today received their Saudi driving licences,” the official Saudi Press Agency said.

“The general directorate of traffic started replacing international driving licen­ces recognised in the kingdom with Saudi licences,” it added.

The move comes as Saudi Arabia, the only country in the world where women are not allowed drive, prepares to lift its decades-long ban on female drivers on June 24.

SPA said authorities star­ted swapping international licences for Saudi ones in multiple locations across the kingdom, with women applicants made to undergo a “practical test”. It did not spe­cify the number of licences issued.

The move is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s far-reaching liberalisation drive as he seeks to modernise the conservative petro-state.

The self-styled reformer, who recently undertook a global tour aimed at reshaping his kingdom’s austere image, has sought to break with long-held restrictions on women and the mixing of the genders.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2018