RIYADH: Traffic Department Director General Brig. Gen Mohammed Abdullah Al-Bassami has said that women are more respectful of traffic regulations and more deserving of leadership.
Al-Bassami was speaking at the launch of the “Safe Leadership” project of the Ministry of Education, in cooperation with the Department of Public Affairs, for its teaching staff.
“Evidence suggests women are safer drivers, so we’re looking forward to women showing men a thing or two on the road,” Rebecca Lindland, car industry analyst, told NBC News in connection with an article that referred to the lifting of the Saudi ban for women to drive.
She also expected that new Saudi women drivers will be drawn to “smaller cars that are fit for one to four people.”
The same sentiment was aired by Amanda Stretton, former British race car driver and motoring editor of the Confused.com website.
“Women driving cars will transform traffic safety to educational practice, which will reduce human and economic losses caused by accidents,” Interior Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Saud bin Naif was quoted by local media as saying in the ministry’s Twitter feed.
Maj. Gen. Bassam Al-Attiyah of the Interior Ministry earlier told Arab News that there was an accident every minute, a death every 20 minutes and four injuries per hour, and 70 percent of accidents happened outside of cities.
The project is implemented by the Agency for Girls Education and represented by the General Administration of Training and Scholarship, in coordination with the Ministry of Interior.
The first phase of the project includes a training workshop to teach women the rules and important instructions regarding traffic.
The next phase involves a training program in the Saudi capital for trainers from each region and governorate, including workshops on values and good citizenship, problem-solving and risk management skills, as well as self-esteem and empowerment.
The project includes awareness lectures for 20 percent of the educational staff in the regions and governorates, an interactive e-learning platform as well as a training package.
The project’s three stages will include preparation, training and evaluation.
Evidence suggests women safer drivers than men: expert
Evidence suggests women safer drivers than men: expert
Saudi scientific organization celebrates 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate Omar Yaghi
- King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology honors him with a reception at its headquarters in Riyadh
- Yaghi, the first Saudi recipient of a Nobel Prize, shared the Nobel Prize with 2 other scientists for their pioneering work in molecular chemistry
LONDON: King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology in Riyadh honored Omar Yaghi, the Saudi scientist and recipient of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, with a reception at its headquarters in Riyadh on Thursday.
Yaghi is the first Saudi scientist awarded a Nobel Prize. He received it in December, alongside two other scientists, for their pioneering work in the field of molecular chemistry, and for contributions to energy, the environment and advanced materials.
He is also supervisor of the Center of Excellence for Nanomaterials for Clean Energy Applications, a collaboration between KACST and the University of California, Berkeley.
Munir Eldesouki, the president of KACST, said that the Kingdom is keen to recognize its scientific talents, in keeping with Saudi Vision 2030 and its goals relating to the fostering of scientific research.
Yaghi said he appreciated the support he had received from Saudi leaders during his career, and praised them for creating an enabling environment in which scientists are able to pursue world-class research, development and innovation.
Investment in national talent has created a research ecosystem that positions Saudi Arabia among the leading scientific nations, he added.
Thursday’s event, attended by the organization’s staff and students, also honored the winning teams from the recent “GenAI for Materials Discovery Hackathon,” which KACST organized in partnership with the University of California, Berkeley, and Academy 32, a nonprofit Saudi organization dedicated to research, development and innovation.
The celebration concluded with an interactive discussion session during which Yaghi talked with students and researchers, reflected on key milestones in his scientific journey, and shared insights into the factors that helped shape his career, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
