(Sept 27): Millions of smartphones across Saudi Arabia pinged non-stop with words of disbelief and congratulations, after the surprise announcement that the kingdom will remove the ban on women driving. Male drivers revved their engines as they crawled up and down the street, showing off — as they do most evenings. ‘Culturally Cloistered’Saudi women aren’t ready to drive because they’re culturally cloistered, said one of the men, a 28-year-old from Riyadh. Just last week, the government suspended a regional religious official after videos of him mocking the idea of women driving went viral. Manal Al Sharif, an activist who led the 2011 Women2Drive movement, said on Twitter that “Today is a rehabilitation to women from 1990 till the moment women can drive.

Source: The Edge Markets September 27, 2017 03:33 UTC