A week since women were welcomed to the driving seat in Saudi Arabia, a look at the change it brings and how automotive brands are marking the occasion.
It’s already a week since women started driving in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia –it will soon be as everyday as dropping kids to school, going grocery shopping or, simply going to work can be. However, in this phase of transition, there are perhaps few things as impactful as this decree in making a positive social impact on contemporary history.
I spoke to a few women who drive in Dubai – where women can be seen driving anything from a cult Mini Cooper or a Nissan Tiida to a Ford Expedition or a Lamborghini Aventador – about what driving means to them, and what does it mean to be able to drive.
Watch the video interview right away or watch it at the end of this article.
“What driving means to me!”
“Independence” is the most obvious response – and it means a world of possibilities. From being able to leave a party without waiting for a friend, to taking children to their doc without waiting for the husband to get back home through a sea of traffic.
On a larger scale, the decision to lift the driving ban on women suddenly recharges a decelerating automotive industry and even the fuel economy. Many affluent families must already have a car or more for the family with a driver to take them around but there are many households, especially expatriate ones, that will start over by buying a car. So, the ripples in the largest population in the GCC could be big enough to be felt in automotive production zones for a few years to come. On the other hand, while some of household drivers might have to look for corporate employment, the lift of the ban doesn’t really mean women taking up a full-time driving job. So, in households that could afford them in the first place, the need could still be felt for much longer.
One of the respondents pointed out that the repealed ban in KSA would now encourage many single households to be populated with wives and children, thanks to the new convenience. Many more women would see Saudi attractive as they can now go around.
And inevitably, the talk brings us to women who love to drive. They get almost 65000 km paved roads added to their driving map, as the remaining forbidden spots or corners of the world cease to be inaccessible to women, legally. Drivemeonline wishes women who drive in Saudi Arabia, and everywhere in the world, safe and happy motoring. Watch the video now.
As for the lift of ban on women drivers, the automotive brands have already started fighting for the women’s attention. Many have started by marking the occasion with events and promotions. Here are some of them:
Chevrolet extends Roadside Assistance to all women drivers
Earlier this year, Chevrolet revealed its #UpToMe campaign highlight the opportunity for women to decide. His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud announced the decree lifting the ban on women driving last September 2017 and it came into force early last week on 24th June 2018, which is also the 10th Shawwal 1439 in Islamic Hijri Calendar. Chevrolet Middle East has revealed a commemorative 10 Shawwal street sign on its social media, which can be downloaded at https://www.facebook.com/ChevroletArabia Anyone interested in purchasing a custom designed 10 Shawwal t-shirt or accessory can visit https://sparknow.com/artist/10shawwal and enjoy a 15% discount using the code ‘10Shawwal’ at check-out!
Chevrolet has also extended its 24/7 Roadside Assistance service to all women drivers in the Kingdom regardless of the car brand they drive for 8 weeks from June 24th, and will cover recovery during an accident or when getting stuck in sand, flat tire changes, battery jump start, courtesy transport, lockout service, fuel delivery up to 20 L
Jaguar calls for ‘world driving day’
Female racing driver and the first female board member of the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation, Aseel Al Hamad took a lap of honour in a Jaguar F-TYPE to commemorate the end of the ban on women drivers. Aseel had never driven on a track in her home country before. She joined Jaguar in a call for June 24th to be known as World Driving Day. Watch the video of Aseel’s drive here.
The FIA Women in Motorsport Commission is dedicated to promoting opportunities across all forms of motor sport activities, but also to promoting equality between male and female counterparts in the wider automotive industry and on the roads.
Saudi Arabian Aseel Al-Hamad, the first female member of the Saudi Arabian Motorsport Federation, was given the opportunity to drive a Renault Sport Formula One Team E20 car on the Le Castellet circuit, France, as part of the Renault ‘Passion Parade’ just hours before the start of the first French GP in ten years. It is the very same car former F1 world champion Kimi Raikkonen drove to victory in the 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Volkswagen Middle East launched their ‘#100SimpleJoysOfDriving’ campaign, which was created to showcase the region’s driving habits and highlight the joys of being in the driving seat. The campaign includes an initial list of 100 driving joys, and Volkswagen invites everyone with a passion for driving to join the conversation and share their own real driving experiences via social platforms. Visit the Volkswagen Middle East YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p51xU4Pwf_Q&list=PLug9Oc9uniqaBP2UuskdiQ7Z3G5SFG6HU
Ford and Audi too have commemorative initiatives to welcome the women of Saudi Arabia to the driver’s seat. Watch the video called ‘doors’ Audi produced: https://youtu.be/llpjz-G69Lk and the video of 5 women in the UAE who reveal what driving means to them.
