JEDDAH: Dr. Sharifah Al-Rajhi, a professor at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, used to ask the family driver to take her children to school.
Not anymore. When schools opened on Sunday, she herself did the driving, thanks to the Saudi government's decision to lift the ban on women driving.
Al-Rajhi says life has become much easier since she started driving her own car. As soon as the door was made open for women to apply for driving licenses on June 24, she said she immediately got her driver license.
“It has helped me to become more independent. And today I drove my daughter Tolyn to school and we were happy to be able to do it like we used to do it in US,” she said on Sunday as schools opened. “Thank you King Salman for giving us the ability to drive in the KSA.”
The lifting of the ban on women driving in the Kingdom was a historic move that gained overwhelming support not only in the Kingdom but all over the word.
More than 120,000 women have applied or expressed interest in obtaining a license so far.
The move is expected reduce the dependence of Saudi families on foreign drivers and also enable more women to seek employment.
For the first time, mothers in Saudi Arabia drive their own children to school
For the first time, mothers in Saudi Arabia drive their own children to school
- A royal decree lifted the ban on women driving in the Kingdom effective June 24, 2-018.
- More than 120,000 women have applied or expressed interest in obtaining a license so far
Saudi Hajj Ministry suspends Umrah firm, overseas agent over contract violations
- Company failed to provide accommodation for a number of Umrah pilgrims, despite these services being documented in the contractual programs, ministry says
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on Sunday announced the suspension of an Umrah company and its overseas agent for failing to provide accommodation services for pilgrims in line with approved contractual programs.
In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, the ministry said the company’s failure constitutes a clear violation of regulations governing services for Umrah pilgrims and visitors to the Two Holy Mosques.
It noted that a number of pilgrims arrived in the Kingdom without secured accommodation, despite these services being documented in the contractual programs.
This prompted immediate regulatory action against the company and its overseas agent under the established legal frameworks, the ministry said.
"The measures are intended to safeguard the rights of affected pilgrims, prevent a recurrence of such violations, and ensure the continued enhancement of service quality," it added.
Last June, the ministry suspended seven Umrah companies due to deficiencies in providing transport services to pilgrims.
In an earlier report quoting the Hajj Ministry and the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, SPA said more than 1.7 million Muslims from all over the world arrived in the Kingdom to perform Umrah during Jumada Al Akhira alone.
Also referred to as Jumada Al Thani, Jumada Al Akhira is the sixth month of the Islamic calendar. For Hijri year 1447, this sixth month ended on December 20, 2025 in the Gregorian calendar.
