Uber is hiring its first female drivers in Saudi Arabia in preparation for the lifting of a driving ban on women in June, the company said on Thursday. As well as the car-hailing service, its Dubai-based counterpart, Careem, is also recruiting women as drivers in the Gulf Kingdom, the company has said. The Saudi ban on women driving has long been an international criticism leveled at the country’s wealthy ruling elite. Before the ban is lifted in June, women continue to face arrest and prison time for driving cars. King Salman lifted the ban on women driving in September in a decision lauded around the world by activists and foreign governments.

Source: Punch January 12, 2018 20:15 UTC