SAUDI WOMEN TAKE THE WHEEL IN BAHRAIN -- LEGALLY

By Muin Abdul Majid

DUBAI, Jan 8 (Bernama) -- Women in Saudi Arabia yearn for the day they are
free to drive on the kingdom's roads.

For now, however, they are hopping over to neighbouring Bahrain as the next
best option.

Col Khalifa bin Hassan of Bahrain's Traffic Directorate said it issued
1,354 licences to Saudi women who underwent driving lessons and passed the test
last year, Arab News daily reported.

According to the Saudi newspaper, there were no special procedures or
paperwork for Saudi women applying for licences in Bahrain.

"The laws are the same for all Gulf Cooperation Council citizens," it
quoted Hassan as saying.

The officer also said that there were no statistics on accidents involving
Saudi women drivers and that they usually drove rented vehicles or vehicles
belonging to relatives.

Saudi women have been demanding for the right to drive for several years.
-- BERNAMA