Optimism Prevails as Countdown Begins for End of Saudi Women Driving Ban

The driving ban against Saudi women ends at midnight on Saturday. (Reuters)
The driving ban against Saudi women ends at midnight on Saturday. (Reuters)
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Optimism Prevails as Countdown Begins for End of Saudi Women Driving Ban

The driving ban against Saudi women ends at midnight on Saturday. (Reuters)
The driving ban against Saudi women ends at midnight on Saturday. (Reuters)

Nine month after Custodian of the Holy Mosques King Salman’s royal decree to allow females in Saudi Arabia to drive, women were highly anticipating the possibility to exercise their right to get behind the wheel as soon as the ban ends at midnight on Saturday.

The past months have witnessed a race against time throughout the Kingdom to prepare driving schools, train female car accident inspectors and raise awareness through various campaigns.

On social media, official authorities, including the General Prosecution, warned against abusing the end of the ban by illicitly taking photographs of the drivers and infringing on their privacy. Punishments against violators include fines and jail terms.

Aside from these concerns, Saudis from all walks of life launched a social media campaign welcoming women to the driving field.

General Director of the Traffic Directorate Mohammed al-Bassami told Asharq Al-Awsat that traffic police were prepared to implement the new driving law, hailing the positive spirit towards women and the end of the ban.

“One only needs to take a quick glance at social media to realize the degree of growing awareness in society in regards to preserving order and paving the way for women to drive for the first time in their lives without any hindrances,” he remarked.

He revealed that the first batch of female car accident inspectors, a total of 40, graduated from the private insurance company Najm only two days ago. Others will follow.

“We are optimistic and as everyone knows, the rules that apply to men will apply to women when it comes to traffic violations and others, as stipulated in the royal decree,” Bassami stressed.

The exact number of women who have obtained their driving license has not been disclosed. The figure is changing on a daily basis, said Bassami.

“Thousands of licenses have been issued and thousands of international licenses have been replaced with local ones,” he explained.

Women were taught how to drive at schools that adhere to the highest international standards. “We are confident that the new drivers would have earned their license and are ready to get behind the wheel,” he added.

“Women make up half of Saudi society and they play a pioneering role in all fields … so ultimately their entry to the driving field will have a positive impact on the Kingdom,” stressed Bassami.

Asharq Al-Awsat spoke with a number of Saudi women ahead of the end of the driving ban, all of whom expressed their excitement at the prospect of being able to freely drive themselves around the Kingdom.

Head of the Businesswomen Center at the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hind Al-Zahid told Asharq Al-Awsat that end of the driving ban paves the way for a historic and pivotal stage in Saudi history.

She interpreted the end of the ban as a decision that backs women as serious partners in economic development.

“I am very happy and optimistic over the economic impact that will emerge from this decision,” she stated. The most important result is the freedom of mobility, which will allow women to drive themselves to work and therefore open up new job opportunities for them.

Asked if she will begin driving on Sunday, Zahid replied: “Yes, I will happily drive myself to work. As a mother, I will be able to drive my children to school and perform other tasks with great ease without having to rely on others.”

Renowned Saudi jewelry designer and businesswoman Dana al-Alami described the end of the driving ban as “historic”.

She revealed that she will begin driving in the Kingdom as soon as she returns from a trip to the United Arab Emirates.

“Congratulations to us all. Education for women was introduced during the reign of King Faisal. They were allowed to join the Shura Council under the reign of King Abdullah and now, under King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the empowerment of women continues,” she said.



Harris Tries to Thread the Needle on Gaza After Meeting with Netanyahu 

US Vice President Kamala Harris meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House grounds, in Washington, DC, US, July 25, 2024. (Reuters)
US Vice President Kamala Harris meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House grounds, in Washington, DC, US, July 25, 2024. (Reuters)
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Harris Tries to Thread the Needle on Gaza After Meeting with Netanyahu 

US Vice President Kamala Harris meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House grounds, in Washington, DC, US, July 25, 2024. (Reuters)
US Vice President Kamala Harris meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House grounds, in Washington, DC, US, July 25, 2024. (Reuters)

Vice President Kamala Harris, the likely Democratic nominee for president, is attempting to bridge divides within the party over the war in Gaza, emphasizing Israel's right to defend itself while also focusing on alleviating Palestinian suffering.

She delivered remarks after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that reflected a delicate balancing act on one of the country's most divisive political issues. Some Democrats have been critical of President Joe Biden's steadfast support for Israel despite the increasing death toll among Palestinians, and Harris is trying to unite her party for the election battle with Republican candidate Donald Trump.

"We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies," she said. "We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering. And I will not be silent."

Harris did not deviate from the administration's approach to the conflict, including grueling negotiations aimed at ending the fighting, releasing hostages held by Hamas and eventually rebuilding Gaza. She also said nothing about military assistance for Israel, which some Democrats want to cut.

Instead, she tried to refocus the conversation around mitigating the calamity in Gaza, and she used language intended to nudge Americans toward an elusive middle ground.

"The war in Gaza is not a binary issue," she said. "But too often, the conversation is binary when the reality is anything but."

In addition, Harris made a more explicit appeal to voters who have been frustrated by the ceaseless bloodshed, which began when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.

"To everyone who has been calling for a ceasefire, and to everyone who yearns for peace, I see you, and I hear you," she said.

Harris' meeting with Netanyahu was private, and she described it as "frank and constructive." She also emphasized her longtime support for Israel, which includes raising money to plant trees in the country when she was a young girl.

Jewish Americans traditionally lean Democratic, but Republicans have tried to make inroads. Trump claimed this week that Harris "is totally against the Jewish people" because she didn't attend Netanyahu's address to a joint meeting of Congress. The vice president was traveling in Indiana during the speech.

Harris is married to a Jewish man, Doug Emhoff, who has played an outspoken role in the administration's efforts to combat antisemitism.

Netanyahu did not speak publicly after his meeting with Harris. His trip was scheduled before Biden dropped his reelection bid, but the meeting with Harris was watched closely for clues to her views on Israel.

"She is in a tricky situation and walking a tightrope where she’s still the vice president and the president really is the one who leads on the foreign policy agenda," said Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, a Democrat whose city is home to one of the largest Arab American communities in the nation. "But as the candidate, the presumptive nominee, she has to now create the space to differentiate in order for her to chart a new course."

Protesters gathered outside Union Station on the day of Netanyahu's speech, ripping down American flags and spray painting "Hamas is coming."

Harris sharply criticized those actions, saying there were "despicable acts by unpatriotic protesters and dangerous hate-fueled rhetoric. "

"I support the right to peacefully protest, but let’s be clear: Antisemitism, hate and violence of any kind have no place in our nation," she said in a statement.

As vice president, Harris has tried to show little daylight between herself and Biden. But David Rothkopf, a foreign policy writer who has met with her, said there's been "a noticeable difference in tone, particularly in regards to concern for the plight of innocent Palestinians."

The difference was on display in Selma, Alabama, in March, when Harris commemorated the anniversary of the Bloody Sunday march for voting rights in 1965.

During her speech, Harris said that "given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate ceasefire."

The audience broke out in applause. A few sentences later, Harris emphasized that it was up to Hamas to accept the deal that had been offered. But her demand for a ceasefire still resonated in ways that Biden's comments had not.

An AP-NORC poll conducted in June found that about 6 in 10 Democrats disapproved of the way Biden is handling the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Roughly the same number said Israel's military response in Gaza had gone too far.

Israeli analysts said they doubted that Harris would present a dramatic shift in policies toward their country.

Chuck Freilich, a former Israeli deputy national security adviser and senior fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv think tank, said Harris was from a generation of American politicians who felt they could both support Israel and publicly criticize its policies.

"The question is as president, what would she do?" Freilich said. "I think she would put considerably more pressure on Israel on the Palestinian issue overall."