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Saudi Arabia Lifts Ban On Female Drivers; Ford Responds With Brilliant Ad

By Sanjoy Alexander

(Photo by Jordan Pix/ Getty Images)
(Photo by Jordan Pix/ Getty Images) /
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Saudi Arabia has finally decided to give its female drivers the right to drive and the world celebrates along with the women of the Middle East.

King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has issued a decree which will allow the women in the country to drive. While it may come across as a piece of news that the women were banned from driving in the Middle East country, it’s refreshing to hear that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is gradually moving forward from some of the outdated laws and systems which it follows.

Lifting ban on women drivers will be opening up the automotive market up for a new breed of buyers as well. Not to mention that car sales will see a significant rise once the decree comes into effect from June 2018. Ford Middle East has welcomed the step with a brilliant ad which is now getting viral. You can see it somewhere below.

The decree also confirmed that licenses be issued to women who wanted them and no approval from a legal guardian is required for the same. And once issued, women can drive without a legal guardian accompanying them.

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All these may sound bizarre to those who aren’t familiar with the ancient and often-absurd laws that the Saudi kingdom has been following since its establishment in 1932. The ban on women drivers is one of the many ridiculous laws which need to be relaxed or removed in order to add to the sheen of the country in global markets. Especially when Saudi is in need to an image makeover and the King has a “Vision 2030” in mind to make that a reality.

The reasoning behind this sudden change of heart of the rulers may not be purely out of the urge to empower women. Since Saudi Arabia is known the world over for its rather strict and borderline dictatorial-level of rules and laws, relaxing all those a bit has become a necessity. In addition to that part, the tourist flow to the country is on the lower side too when compared with Dubai.

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The latter on the other hand is still a thriving place, thanks to how it embraced its identity as a tourist destination. Which is why, even when the oil prices are down, Dubai manages to stay afloat. The same can’t be said about Saudi Arabia which never really tried to evolve with times.

Source: The Guardian

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