Saudi Arabian King Decides It's Time to Let Saudi Women Drive

Saudi Arabia's king has made a historic decision for the Middle Eastern kingdom.

King Salman of Saudi Arabia has issued a decree allowing women to drive for the first time. Until the announcement, Saudi Arabia was the only country in the world which denied women the right to drive.

Prince Khaled bin Salman, the Saudi ambassador to Washington, told reporters that this was a big day in the country's history. "Our leadership thinks that this is the right time to do this change because currently in Saudi Arabia we have a young, dynamic, open society," bin Salman said.

"There's no wrong time to do the right thing."

But while the announcement is great news for females in the country, changes won't be seen until next July, as the kingdom decides the best way to implement the new decision. The decree stated that the changes must "apply and adhere to the necessary Sharia standards", so, for the moment, it remains unclear how it is going to affect the law.

Many extreme conservatives within Saudi Arabia have criticised the decision, with some stating that it would corrupt society and lead to further sin.

Shrug them off because it's a great step forward for women in the Middle East.

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