Billionaire businessman Prince Alwaleed bin Talal suggests an end to the ban on female drivers would bring social and economic benefits
NEW YORK (TrustLaw) – A prominent Saudi prince appears to have thrown his weight behind allowing women in the kingdom to drive cars, according to the Associated Press.
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, an American-educated billionaire businessman and philanthropist, pointed to the advantages of lifting the ban on female drivers on his Twitter account on Sunday.
“The question of allowing women to drive in Saudi Arabia will save 500,000 jobs in addition to the social and economic benefits,” he said.
Hundreds of thousands of foreign male workers are employed as drivers in the kingdom, which does not permit women to drive themselves.
Women’s rights groups have described the situation as discriminatory, not just against all women but particularly against women who cannot afford to pay a driver’s salary.
The prince’s comments coincide with a new government campaign to reduce the number of foreigners who illegally work and reside in the country.
Last week, King Abdullah gave the nation’s more than 8 million foreign workers three months to legalise their status.
In the last year, the king has moved to lift some restrictions on women, including allowing them to work in lingerie shops, run for seats in municipal elections in 2015, train as lawyers and hold 20 percent of the seats in his advisory Shura Council.
Women still do not have the right to drive cars, travel outside the home without male supervision or make most major decisions without approval of a male guardian.
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