Saudi women need nod to drive in Kuwait

Kuwait will not allow Saudi women to drive unless they are permitted to do so by their guardians, the Gulf emirate’s traffic police chief was reported on Wednesday as saying.

“In case a Saudi woman comes to Kuwait to obtain a driving licence, we will not give her unless she gets approval from her guardian,” Brigadier Saleh Al Najim said.

“This rule applies on all Saudi women, whether they are minors, adults or married,” he told the Saudi Arabic language daily Alhayat.

He said Kuwait recognizes Saudi regulations which still ban women from driving cars, adding that some men do not allow their wives or daughters to drive.

“We do not want to cause trouble inside families by giving women driving licence without the knowledge of their guardians,” he said.