JEDDAH: At 10:55 p.m. on June 23, 2018, I was glued to my TV set in Hungary. I was waiting for the clock to strike midnight in Saudi Arabia and for the first engines to roar with my fellow Saudi women behind the wheel. I vowed to return to my home country and grant myself a well-deserved privilege — my own Saudi driver’s license.
I applied for my license in August on the Jeddah Advanced Driving School’s website as soon as I found an opening. I paid SR2,520 ($600) with the promise of a placement test at a later time. I called customer service, who explained that because of the high demand I should check every day until I found an opening.
The requirements were a valid ID card, a medical report and an eye exam. Clinics and hospitals are linked with the traffic department and the school’s database, so the school received the results directly.
I drove after returning to Saudi Arabia in late September, sometimes accompanied by my brother, to test the waters. Driving was allowed in areas where the police knew families practised regularly as long as they were careful. I know my city’s streets pretty well and driving wasn’t as intimidating as I thought it would be. But when I hit major roads I wanted to change my mind. It takes a while to adjust to the change from being a passenger to being the driver. But the training lowered my anxiety.
I took my placement test on Jan. 7. I entered the driving school and saw women instructors, some with past experience driving abroad and others recently employed after having passed the assessments. No men were allowed — and that was a welcome gesture for many.
I got behind the wheel of the car with my instructor, who didn’t look much older than 30. She smiled at me reassuringly as I eased the car toward the designated test area. I passed the placement test, even after struggling to parallel park. I was ranked intermediate, which meant I was required to complete 12 training hours.The hours were to be divided between classroom instruction and practice with an instructor. The school deducted SR1,102.5 from what I initially paid, and I will be refunded the remaining amount.
It took two months from the placement test to the theory classes and another two for the final exam. The wait was because of the volume of students applying. On May 14, I returned to the school one last time. I passed with a score of 87 percent.
I have noticed that drivers around me barely register that I’m a woman. I get looks sometimes, but they come with smiles and the occasional thumbs-up.
For one Saudi woman, new driving license is ‘a well-deserved privilege’
For one Saudi woman, new driving license is ‘a well-deserved privilege’
- Last year this time, Arab News did not have any female staff who possessed a Saudi driving license
- One year on, the first successful applicant commutes to work every day with the family driver in the passenger seat
Outdoor festival brings new energy to Ithra
- Inaugural Food Festival offers workshops and diverse cuisine with a relaxed vibe
DHAHRAN: The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, or Ithra, launched its inaugural outdoor Food Festival on Monday, turning part of its grounds into a lively culinary space in view of the iconic building.
Music, laughter and the smell of cooking fill the area, guiding visitors toward the festival site.
The festival program includes four specialized cooking workshops — taco, pizza, steak and sushi — each running for three days and powered by Filmmaster. While registration is required to participate, visitors can watch the chefs prepare dishes in the open-air kitchen.
Beyond the workshops, visitors can explore 10 food stations offering a range of cuisines, including Saudi, Indian, Egyptian, Mexican, Japanese and Lebanese.
HIGHLIGHTS
• The Food Festival program includes four specialized cooking workshops — taco, pizza, steak and sushi — each running for three days and powered by Filmmaster.
• While registration is required to participate, visitors can watch the chefs prepare dishes in the open-air kitchen
One such booth is Whoa Tea & Desserts, which was bubbling with excitement on opening night. Its founder, Liu Yang, who also goes by the name of Edwin, told Arab News why his business chose to participate.
“I found the Saudi market is very good and they have so many young people here, so me and my two friends we decided to resign and we started a business here targeting the young people,” he told Arab News.
The Chinese entrepreneur has now lived in Saudi Arabia for more than four years, spending the first half of that time working for a Chinese company before deciding to branch out.
The company brought their own brand of Chinese milk tea, fruity and matcha drinks as well as an assortment of snacks, and even board games, to their shop.
“Now we, in two years, have more than 10 branches in Riyadh and we decided to come to Alkhobar, so soon we will have three shops here which will open in the Eastern Province; one at the end of January and two in February,” he added.
Since they are opening locally next month, the festival was the perfect way to introduce their products for customers to sample.
Ekin, who moved to Saudi Arabia last year from the US, told Arab News why she chose to bring her family, which included two young children under 10, to the festival.
“We are members at Ithra, we love Ithra. So that is why we trusted that this event was going to be a success,” she told Arab News.
“This is the perfect weather — I love the outdoors eating option. It’s also spacious; there are picnic tables. I think the variety makes it even better because you don’t have to wait in the line for a long time to just grab food,” she said.
The festival is set to end on Jan. 3.
