Back In The Driving Seat

For decades women in Saudi Arabia have been denied the right to drive. The lifting of the female driving ban in June is symbolic in social terms, but there are wider economic benefits that could boost Saudi Arabia in many and varied ways.

- Neil King

IT’S BEEN A long time coming, but after 61 years in the passenger seat, women are allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia again.

The 1957 ban prohibiting women from driving within the kingdom’s borders was finally laid to rest on June 24, when for the first time in two generations women took the steering wheel and drove on the roads of Riyadh and beyond – legally and without fear of repercussion.

The landmark move has been years in the making – especially for the countless women who have campaigned in earnest since 1990’s first high profile driving protest, which saw 47 women imprisoned; a fate shared by many activists today, who remain in prison despite the lifting of the ban.

For the vast majority of women in the kingdom, however, the move represents something of a new dawn, offering greater freedom of mobility, access to wider job opportunities, and the reclamation of rights.

The potentially far-reaching societal shift is matched by the possible economic changes on the table, with the automotive industry in particular expected to change dramatically in the coming years.

According to a 2017 YouGov survey, 80 per cent of Saudi women interviewed wanted to get their license and drive. This would amount to 7.8 million women who are keen to get behind the wheel.

“Our analysis estimates that by 2020, 3 million women will be driving in Saudi Arabia,” says Hala Kudwah, consulting leader at PwC Saudi Arabia Financial Services.

And despite seeming a relatively modest figure compared to YouGov’s findings, the impact would still be huge.

“The most immediate impact would be on the volume of car sales and car leasing, and the ripple effect on insurance premiums and enablers like driving schools and maintenance,” Kudwah continues.