Saudi women flock to driving school as ‘permanent residency clause’ scrapped

Scores of Saudi women have begun flocking to the driving school in A’ali to apply for learner’s license after the ‘permanent address requirement’ was scrapped by the authorities.

The General Directorate of Traffic within the Interior Ministry had recently decided to allow Saudi nationals, who don’t have a permanent address in the Kingdom to apply for their license. The move comes in a bid to facilitate the procedures for Saudi women and reduce their financial burdens following allegations of real estate agents exorbitantly charging them in return for ‘permanent addresses’.

According to a Saudi daily, there’s only one driving school to train women in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia, pushing hundreds of women to come to Bahrain to learn driving and obtain the license. On their part, Bahrain Driving Instructors Society thanked the the General Director of Traffic Brigadier General Shaikh Abdulrahman bin Abdulwahab Al Khalifa and Driving Learning Director Colonel Mohammed Ahmed Mahmood for taking such an “important” decision and responding to the society’s pleas to facilitate the procedures of issuing driving licences for residents, especially Saudi women”.

The society said in a statement issued yesterday: “The step is highly appreciated as it reflects the concerns and demands of trainees, whether citizens, residents or female citizens of Saudi Arabia.” Society President Ibrahim Al Asfoor said: “This important decision promotes equality of treatment between Saudis and Bahrainis in government departments. It has a positive impact on driving instructors in Bahrain and the trainees from Saudi Arabia, especially women. It will also revive the tourism sector in Bahrain.”