Riyadh, 18 March(AKI) - Saudi Arabia's Majlis al-Shura or advisory council is reportedly debating a proposal to allow women to drive in the conservative Muslim country, said Arab newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi on Tuesday.
According to the newspaper, the law would only allow women over 30-years-old to drive, but they must first have written permission from their legal guardians, whether it's their husbands, brothers or fathers.
Only with this authorisation will women be allowed to enroll in driving classes in the women's section of the motor vehicle division, an entity created by the government especially for women.
"For the woman to avoid falling into sinful temptations, she will be allowed to drive alone in the city centre, while she will have to be accompanied by a male family member if she is outside urban centres," said the newspaper report.
Moreover, women will only be allowed to drive from Saturday to Wednesday from 7am to 8pm, and will also be allowed to carry a mobile phone in case they need assistance.
In the last few days, the Saudi police have arrested several women who were seen driving openly in the kingdom.
The move comes after a video by a Saudi female activist, showing her driving a car alone, was aired on the website YouTube on 8 March (International Women's Day). In the video, the activist asked the advisory council to approve a law which would allow women to drive.
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