WOMEN in one of the worst countries for gender equality will soon be allowed to ride motorcycles.
Saudi Arabia was previously the only country in the world that prohibited women from driving, but under an ambitious gender reform push the conservative kingdom has now allowed women to not only drive cars, but also ride motorcycles and drive trucks from June 2018.
The Saudi Arabian General Directorate of Traffic gave details of the new regulations on Friday, only three months after King Salman announced that women will be allowed to drive.
The Royal Decree states that the law on driving will be 'equal' for both men and women, with no special licence plates for female-driven cars.
However, female drivers and riders involved in road accidents or who break traffic laws will be processed at special centres that are run by women.
Only last month, the World Economic Forum ranked Saudi Arabia as the seventh worse country for women in its annual Global Gender Gap Report.
Under the country's guardianship system, a male family member must grant permission for a woman to study, travel and perform other activities. This summer, women were allowed access into three sports stadiums in the country, while this month, a ban on women entering cinemas was lifted.
