As women’s rights groups continue to steam ahead in full speed petitioning for the reversal of the ban on women’s driving in the Kingdom, experts on the issue have concluded that the move, if successful, would not only lift the ban itself but the Saudi economy as well.

“Overall, lifting… [the] ban in Saudi Arabia is expected to have a major effect on the local economy in three different ways,” said Dr. John Sfakianakis, chief economist at the Saudi British Bank (SABB) in Riyadh.

“First, by putting a large portion of house drivers out of work and increasing the purchasing power of Saudi families; second by causing a shift in the ownership of vehicles; and third by a trickle down of additional vehicles being sold to women translating into greater opportunities [and the] opening up new markets.”

Accounting for 49% of the population, the economic power of the Kingdom’s women is a force not to be taken for granted, according to a report published in December last year by state oil firm Aramco. The report said car ownership among Saudi women climbed to 60% between 2003 and 2006, taking the total number of automobiles owned by Saudi women to 120,334. [The women presumably would be buying them under their own names for chauffeurs.]

Realizing a limitless profitability, a number of local companies have been waking up to the impact that catering to the Kingdom’s women could expand their businesses. “I feel lifting the ban on women’s driving will cause a boom effect on local automotive businesses,” said Sam Maatouk, sales manager at United Motors in Jeddah.

“It is only logical that the lifting of the driving ban would create a chance for the opening up of so many different markets,” he said, adding that women’s driving schools would begin to be established, fuel consumption would rise, and tires and spare parts manufacturers would also benefit. “I feel the government would also gain financially from a lift on the ban through the issuance of licenses and auto insurance contracts,” he said.

Maatouk, who previously worked in the UK, said most English women prefer small, four-cylinder vehicles, which are easier to drive and park, but added that he expects Saudi women to be more assertive. “Maybe you might see a woman wanting to buy a Dodge Charger because her husband, brother or father has one,” he said.

Anees Salamah, marketing manager of Balubaid Automotive Co. in Jeddah, agreed that the economic consequences of the lifting of the driving ban would be a windfall. “We heard the news about a petition going around and the possibility of the ban being lifted, and have been working on facilities especially designed for women,” said Salamah.

He also said that the company has been dealing with women for a while now and has some women customers who are already owners of two or three cars. “We are currently working on catering to businesswomen by developing special links with financial institutions for them and also a training program for female staff in order to advise new car owners on maintenance procedures, such as changing tires and getting the car regularly tuned up,” he said.

Salamah concluded that they have just completed a survey into identifying the specific needs of Saudi [female] customers and found that entertainment features were the biggest attraction for women when purchasing a new vehicle. “GPS navigation systems were the most sought after feature,” he explained.

Another primary factor that could drive the number of [female] car owners up is what he calls economic necessity. “It simply means that some people can’t afford to hire drivers anymore and lifting the driving ban would make life more affordable for women, who would prefer to purchase a car and chauffeur themselves,” he said, adding that with a large population of divorced women and those who have no male guardian more money would be forced into the local economy, money that he says could be put to good use for improving the social infrastructure by developing Saudi ladies’ branches of police departments, gas stations, spare parts shops, and new ladies-only car showrooms.

The only question still remaining is when will be the driving ban lifted. When the question was posed to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, he was quoted in the local media as saying that the ban would be lifted “when the country is ready,” which when translated by automotive businesses and so many eager women means it’s only a matter of time.

[Please refer to the link of Wajeha al-Huwaidar, one of the leading figures of the feminist and reformist movement in Saudi Arabia, explaining the benefits of Saudi women driving their own cars (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54pRJkJ6B6E ). Ms. al-Huwaidar studied in the United States and has degrees from Indiana University and George Washington University. She is a poet, author and journalist. Her satirical poem, entitled “When”, was mentioned in the New York Times on March 2, 2007. Some excerpts from the poem:

“When you cannot find a single garden in your city, but there is a mosque on every corner-- you know that you are in an Arab country...

“When you see people living in the past with all the trappings of modernity-- do not be surprised, you are in an Arab country.

“When clerics are referred to as ‘scholars’-- don’t be astonished, you are in an Arab country.”

To read the entire poem, click here.

In one of her articles, Ms. al-Huwaidar once wrote: “We would like to remind everyone that rights are not given or earned -they are taken.” ]

Arab News, March 29, 2008