05 May 2013
Dubai will not join Saudi Arabia and ban women from the Gulf kingdom from driving cars as long as they hold a valid driving licence, the emirate's police chief has said.
Lt General Dahi Khalfan also urged police in the emirate to be lenient with drivers from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab countries before punishing them for traffic offences.
Khalfan said Dubai has received applications from some Saudi women to obtain a driving licence, adding that the number of applications is not high.
"Women from Saudi Arabia are allowed to drive cars in Dubai provided they have a valid driving licence," he said, quoted by the Saudi Alhayat newspaper.
Saudi women are banned from driving cars in their country but there has been a strong debate in the world's dominant oil exporter to end the ban following persistent protests by women on social networks.
But most of them drive in other countries with international driving papers or licences obtained from those countries.
Khalfan said drivers from Saudi Arabia and the other GCC nations are not heavy offenders of the traffic law.
"For example, the number of traffic offences committed by Saudi drivers is very low compared with the number of Saudi visitors to Dubai...I have advised police patrols in Dubai to be lenient and patient with drivers from Saudi and other GCC countries and explain the local traffic rules here before giving them tickets for offences," he said.
Dubai will not join Saudi Arabia and ban women from the Gulf kingdom from driving cars as long as they hold a valid driving licence, the emirate's police chief has said.
Lt General Dahi Khalfan also urged police in the emirate to be lenient with drivers from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab countries before punishing them for traffic offences.
Khalfan said Dubai has received applications from some Saudi women to obtain a driving licence, adding that the number of applications is not high.
"Women from Saudi Arabia are allowed to drive cars in Dubai provided they have a valid driving licence," he said, quoted by the Saudi Alhayat newspaper.
Saudi women are banned from driving cars in their country but there has been a strong debate in the world's dominant oil exporter to end the ban following persistent protests by women on social networks.
But most of them drive in other countries with international driving papers or licences obtained from those countries.
Khalfan said drivers from Saudi Arabia and the other GCC nations are not heavy offenders of the traffic law.
"For example, the number of traffic offences committed by Saudi drivers is very low compared with the number of Saudi visitors to Dubai...I have advised police patrols in Dubai to be lenient and patient with drivers from Saudi and other GCC countries and explain the local traffic rules here before giving them tickets for offences," he said.
© Emirates 24|7 2013
