RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia said it will allow women to drive for the first time in the ultra-conservative kingdom.
The kingdom, which announced the change on Tuesday, was the only the country in the world to bar women from driving and for years had garnered negative publicity internationally for detaining women who defied the ban.
The State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said that the U.S. is “happy” with the move.
Nauert called it “a great step in the right direction for that country.” But Nauert isn’t commenting on whether Saudi Arabia still needs to do more to ensure full rights for its female citizens.
The move comes as Saudi Arabia works to improve its image and the perception of its human rights record in the United States and the West.
Women’s rights activists since the 1990s have been pushing for the right to drive, saying it represents their larger struggle for equal rights under the law.
The state-run Saudi Press Agency and state TV reported the news late Tuesday evening, saying a royal order was issued for both men and women to be issued drivers’ licenses. A committee will be formed to look into how to implement the new order.
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