Jun 23, 2018

Saudi Arabia lifts ban on women drivers

Axios

Daniah al-Ghalbi takes a test drive in Jeddah on June 23, the day before the kingdom lifted its ban on women drivers. Photo: Amer Hilabi/AFP/Getty Images

Women can now get behind the wheel in Saudi Arabia as the country's ban on women drivers expired at midnight (5 p.m. EDT).

The big picture: The long-awaited move is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's modernization of the religious kingdom, but the ban's expiration comes as women's rights activists were detained in multiple crackdowns last month.

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