Manama: Shocking footage of a child driving at a speed of 180 kilometres per hour on a highway in Saudi Arabia has emerged, sparking angry calls for strong action against his father.

The short clip posted on You Tube showed the child holding onto the steering wheel while the passenger was filming him, the speedometer and the highway ahead, Saudi news site Ajil reported.

The driver and the passenger did not seem to worry about the risks of the high speed to themselves or to the other users of the highway.

However, online users expressed outrage and called for arresting the father and revoking his driving licence for allowing the child to drive.

They said that the father's negligence and recklessness could result in deaths and in serious damages.

"The father should be in fact sent to jail for allowing his son to drive," Nakhaish, a user, posted. "There should also be heavy fines for fathers because they are putting people's lives at risk. They have to think and act much more responsibly," he said.

Another user, Conar, said the father should be asked to pay a fine that is equal to the cost of the car.

"They should also ban the father from driving for a long time in order to teach him a lesson and help protect people's lives," he said.

Abdullah said that the father did not deserve to keep the son in his custody.

"There should be family action against the father on the grounds that he did not know how to look after him," he said. "Innocent people should not be made to pay for the recklessness and carelessness of some fathers. There is a real need to confront such fathers."

A string of video clips posted on social media over recent months have prompted furious backlashes and fresh concerns about the growing phenomenon of children driving vehicles.

In January, the footage of a child driving through rush hour traffic on a highway triggered wide condemnation by Saudis.

The clip shows a boy, apparently less than 10 years old and struggling to see beyond the steering wheel, driving the car in the middle of a traffic jam on the Hamarain Highway that links the Red Sea city of Jeddah with Madina.

In December, a clip showed a child behind the steering wheel of a car moving at a high speed in what seemed a response to a challenge.

In September, Saudis expressed shock and outrage after a seven-year-old child was spotted driving a family on a highway near the capital Riyadh.

The video captured by another driver showed a busy highway with several large trucks passing near the child-driven vehicle.

Social media users called for authorities to summon the vehicle owner and punish him severely for his irresponsible behaviour and for putting people’s lives at risk.

In April last year, a video showing a young boy driving a van in Saudi Arabia at a speed of 200 kilometres per hour has sparked outrage and warnings to parents.

The 15-second clip records a young boy seemingly less than 10 years old, driving the GMC vehicle and overtaking cars on a busy highway.

The traffic police have regularly warned that parents would be held legally responsible for allowing their underage sons to drive.