Saudi Arabia: More driving schools for women to open early 2021

Dubai: More driving schools for women will be opened in various regions across Saudi Arabia by early next year, local media reported.

More female applicants will also be allowed to use driving schools for men. There will be specific periods of time for women at these schools under the supervision of female instructors.

This is aimed at easing the rush at driving schools for women and helping more women get driving licences for women.

Meanwhile, a report from the General Authority for Statistics showed that 174,624 driving licences were issued to women between June 2018 and January 2020. Saudi women account for 85 per cent of female driving licence holders in the Kingdom.

Nearly 48 per cent of licences were issued in Riyadh, followed by the Eastern Province with 28 per cent and Mecca with just over 14 per cent of licences.

There are now only five women’s driving schools in the Kingdom, one each in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Medina and Tabuk. There are 21 sites for converting foreign licences in various regions.