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Saudi driving decree first step in needed changes

The royal decree allowing women to drive in Saudi Arabia comes at a time when the country is facing increasing international pressure, especially over its war in Yemen.
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Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud's decree allowing women to get driver's licenses is a bold, if long overdue, step to reverse the kingdom's economic stagnation and answer increasing international criticism. The king and his sons also need to rethink his Yemen strategy, which is making the economy and foreign policy tilt in the wrong direction.

Saudi women bravely began to demand the right to drive 27 years ago, but the royal family and the clerical establishment resisted forcefully. Now the only nation in the world to discriminate against female drivers is changing. Many important details are yet to be worked out. The king scheduled implementation for June 2018, but deadlines for female empowerment in the kingdom have a long history of slipping. The all-male police force will need extensive training to prepare for engaging women drivers on the road. The role of male guardians will need to be clarified: Must a woman receive permission to travel alone or to a specific destination? Saudi Ambassador to Washington Prince Khaled bin Salman said women will not need the guardian's approval to request a license, which is a positive step.

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