April 07th, 2010

A sticker posted in protest of the driving ban

According to the Saudi Gazette, women are driving in Rub’ al Khali, referred to as the Empty Quarter, a remote desert area that stretches across several countries in the middle east including Saudi Arabia. Currently, it is illegal for women to drive in the country.

They are ignoring the ban and driving mostly out of necessity. “Women drive pick-up trucks to carry fodder and goods; some women even have been seen driving water tank trucks.” The Gazette reports that women often drive with a firearm as protection.

According to one resident of the area women driving is “not frowned upon” and it’s “not a social taboo.” Let’s hope this freedom will soon be extended across the country.