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A Saudi woman poses to illustrate driving a car in Jeddah. Outcry at the denial of right has been fuelled by social media interest in the arrest of two would-be female motorists. Image Credit: Reuters

Manama: Traffic police in Saudi Arabia have booked a woman for driving a car in Madina in the western part of the kingdom.

The woman was fined for driving without a driving licence, the police said, local daily Al Madina reported on Sunday.

Women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia.

The woman, in her 40s, was spotted by a road patrol as she was driving a GMC vehicle in the southern area of the city, accompanied by two of her sons, according to the report.

The police said that they stopped the woman and summoned her with her son who was 18 to sign a pledge not to drive again. The fine was imposed for driving without a licence.

Mohammad Bin Ajlan Al Shinbari, the head of traffic in Madina, confirmed that the woman was allowed to go home after she was given a fine and asked to sign a pledge not to drive.

Calls to allow women to drive in the Saudi kingdom have invariably waded into controversy and a chasm has been created between those who support allowing women to drive and those who oppose it.

Both camps have used religious, social and economic arguments to press for their views.