“The royal decree is clear in terms of implementing traffic laws on men and women alike,” Major General Mansour al-Turki said.

:: Major General Mansour al-Turki, the spokesperson of the Saudi interior ministry, has said that the legal driving age of women in the country is 18 years.

“The royal decree is clear in terms of implementing traffic laws on men and women alike,” Turki told Al-Arabiya news channel.

He noted that security forces are always present on the kingdom’s roads and will deal with women as passengers, adding they will not find it “difficult to deal with women when they begin to drive and will do all it takes to maintain everyone’s safety.”

Enhancing traffic safety

Turki said the interior minister thinks the recent decision to lift the ban on women driving represents a strong push to the ministry’s efforts to enhance traffic safety through education.

“Women will certainly benefit from being able to drive and it will help them understand traffic rules and manners. This will positively affect their educational role while raising children to properly handle cars and be on the road,” he added.