{"id":39264,"date":"2019-06-24T05:52:05","date_gmt":"2019-06-24T05:52:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alj.com\/?post_type=perspective&p=39264"},"modified":"2019-11-07T09:15:42","modified_gmt":"2019-11-07T09:15:42","slug":"women-at-the-wheel-whats-changed-in-saudi-arabia","status":"publish","type":"perspective","link":"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/perspective\/women-at-the-wheel-whats-changed-in-saudi-arabia\/","title":{"rendered":"Women at the wheel:\u00a0 what\u2019s changed in Saudi Arabia?"},"content":{"rendered":"

One year after Saudi Arabia\u00a0made the decision to allow\u00a0women drivers, what has been the impact for the country\u2019s families, communities, businesses and economy?<\/span><\/p>\n

In June 2018, 10 women made history when they became the first Saudi Arabian females to be granted driving licenses.\u00a0 By January 2019[1]<\/a>, 40,000 female driving licenses had been issued in the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rema Jawdat, one of those 10 pioneering women, said:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a dream come true\u2026 \u00a0Driving represents having a choice \u2013 the choice of independent movement. \u00a0Now we have that option[2]<\/strong><\/a>.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The decision to allow women to drive came as part of the Government\u2019s ambitious reforms and amid a determination to deliver the economic diversity and opportunity outlined in Vision 2030. The country\u2019s plan includes an aim to increase female participation in the workforce from 22% to 30% by 2030.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cTogether we will continue building a better country, fulfilling our dream of prosperity and unlocking the talent, potential, and dedication of our young men and women\u2026 \u00a0Saudi women are another great asset\u2026 \u00a0we will continue to develop their talents, invest in their productive capabilities and enable them to strengthen their future and contribute to the development of our society and economy.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Twelve months on, though, what has been the impact of a change hailed around the world? What has been the tangible and intangible impact?<\/p>\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/06\/ALJ-WomenDriving-En-16-9.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n

Far-reaching impacts<\/strong><\/p>\n

By 2020, 15 million women are expected to be living in Saudi Arabia. \u00a0Of those, 20% \u2013 or approximately three million \u2013 are projected to drive, based on demographics such as their age and income[3]<\/a>. \u00a0However, adding an extra three million drivers to the country\u2019s roads in less than two years is a profound change. \u00a0One whose impact is reverberating across all areas of society.<\/p>\n

In 2017, Saudi Arabian families were spending roughly US$ 540 million each month on private drivers[4]<\/a>. \u00a0This spending was heightened by the increasing need for women to travel as more females entered both the public and private sector workforce. \u00a0Yet while the number of private drivers appears to be facing an inevitable decline, other sectors are already seeing significant growth.<\/p>\n

Car manufacturers, as well as those providing servicing and accessories, were all expected to see some uplift in their sales activity.\u00a0 By 2027, Saudi Arabia\u2019s roads are predicted to be 20% busier than in 2017[5]<\/a>.\u00a0 While not every new female driver will require a new car, they will certainly need both car insurance and fuel.\u00a0 With 61% of Saudi women intending to apply for a license \u00a0– according to research released in August 2018[6]<\/a> – demand in both sectors is set to soar. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Women driving should also deliver a significant economic surge.\u00a0 According to some estimates[7]<\/a>, the lifting of the female driving ban could be worth as much as US$ 90 billion in extra economic output by 2030.\u00a0 Ziad Daoud of Bloomberg Economics said:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cLifting the ban on driving is likely to increase the number of women seeking jobs, boosting the size of the workforce and lifting overall incomes and output.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Retail and leisure spend are highlighted as two areas indirectly boosted by the decision to allow women to drive[8]<\/a>, while the creation of a series of female driving schools will also accelerate. \u00a0\u201cWe have plans to create 14 driving schools for women in different regions,<\/em>\u201d said Maj. Gen. Muhammad Al-Bassami, Director General of Saudi Arabia\u2019s Traffic Department[9]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There are also driving employment opportunities emerging for Saudi Arabia\u2019s women. By June 2018, ride-hailing app Careem had trained 2,000 women ahead of them being able to get driving licenses[10]<\/a>.\u00a0 In September 2018, Uber \u2013 another popular ride-sharing company – \u00a0announced plans to launch a pilot program enabling its female drivers to choose to collect only female passengers[11]<\/a>, should they wish to.<\/p>\n

The decision to permit female drivers and to improve economic diversity under Vision 2030 promises to deliver enormous change to individual freedoms, household logistics, business operations and the\u00a0domestic economy in Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n

Abdul Latif Jameel Motors, as distributor of Toyota and Lexus vehicles in Saudi Arabia, is at the center of this ongoing revolution, already deploying almost\u00a0100 female front-line staff in showrooms\u00a0across the country, to advise and support car buyers with their vehicle purchases.<\/p>\n

Abdul Latif Jameel Motors has also made it easier and more convenient for women to learn to drive, supplying over 500 Toyota vehicles to driving schools at Princess Noura Bint Abdulrahman University\u00a0in Riyadh, King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University in Dammam and Tabuk University, as part of is \u2018Together from the Start\u2019<\/em>\u00a0initiative.<\/p>\n

Through its partnership with Toyota, it also took part in a series of roadshows and forums aimed at introducing women to the ins and outs of driving in the country, including a program of workshops on safety and basic car maintenance.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nWomen take part in a motor roadshow in Saudi Arabia learning about road safety, car maintenance and trialling vehicles. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Similarly, Abdul Latif Jameel Insurance has started recruiting female sales executives to cater to rising demand for vehicle insurance.\u00a0By June 2019, 25% of sales agents were women and during Q1 2019, over 6% of motor insurance policies were sold to women.\u00a0It also partnered with Axa Insurance in June 2018 in a campaign to offer women a 20% reduction on the cost of a motor insurance policy.<\/p>\n

\"\"Shahad Wail AlQurashi, a Saudi national and Marketing Communications Manager at Abdul Latif Jameel Commercial Development Co. in Jeddah, has obtained her own driving licence in the last year; she stated:<\/p>\n

\u201cAllowing women to drive has been a significant milestone for Saudi Arabia as it is a step further forward to women being recognised for the important role they play in society. Since the ban was lifted, I have applied for my licence and taken and passed my test \u2013 the feeling of independence and pride when I took my first drive was incredible. The lifting of the ban is about so much more than driving \u2013 now we see more women joining the workplace as the logistics of doing so are easier now, and more and more of my colleagues are female. I am truly proud of both my country, and to work for a company who is so supportive of this continuing move towards inclusivity.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> 40,000 driving licenses issued to Saudi women<\/a>, Saudi Gazette, January 9, 2019<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Saudi Arabia issues first driving licenses to women<\/a>, BBC, June 5, 2018<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Women driving the transformation of the KSA automotive market<\/a>, PwC, March 2018<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Private drivers cost Saudi families more than SR2 billion monthly<\/a>, Saudi Gazette, August 1, 2017<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> The real winners from Saudi\u2019s new stance on women drivers<\/a>, The National, October 22, 2017<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> Saudi women driving auto insurance growth<\/a>, Oxford Business Group, October 6, 2018<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> Saudi Arabia\u2019s $90 Billion Reason to Allow Women to Drive<\/a>, Bloomberg, June 24, 2018<\/p>\n

[8]<\/a> Women driving the transformation of the KSA automotive market<\/a>, PwC, March 2018<\/p>\n

[9]<\/a> 40,000 driving licenses issued to Saudi women<\/a>, Saudi Gazette, January 9, 2019<\/p>\n

[10]<\/a> We Took a Ride With Saudi Arabia\u2019s First Women Taxi Drivers<\/a>, Time, June 25, 2019<\/p>\n

[11]<\/a> Why Uber has only \u2018a handful\u2019 of woman drivers in Saudi Arabia, while local rival Careem claims more than 2,000<\/a>, CNBC, October 20, 2018<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":39311,"template":"","tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWomen at the Wheel in Saudi Arabia | Abdul Latif Jameel\u00ae<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"One year after Saudi Arabia made the decision to allow women drivers, know what has been the impact for the country\u2019s families, communities, businesses and economy?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/perspective\/women-at-the-wheel-whats-changed-in-saudi-arabia\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Women at the Wheel in Saudi Arabia | Abdul Latif 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