沙特阿拉伯星期天取消不准女性驾车禁令

Saudi Arabia on Sunday will lift the world's only ban on women driving.

The move is a milestone for Saudi women who have had to rely on drivers, male relatives, taxis, or ride-hailing services to get around.

Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia's government began issuing licenses to women who already held driving licenses from other countries, including Britain, Lebanon and Canada. The women took a brief driving test before receiving their new licenses.

However, most women in the country do not yet have driver's licenses. Many women have not had a chance to take driving courses that have been only offered for a few months.

Bloomberg news agency said its interviews with Saudi women show the majority are conflicted about the new development, both being excited to drive but also wanting to respect their culture. Women say it will likely take some time for society to adapt to the change.

沙特阿拉伯星期天将取消世界各国中唯一不准女性驾驶汽车的禁令。

这一举措对沙特阿拉伯女性是一个里程碑。迄今为止，她们出行只能依靠司机、男性亲戚、计程车或其它出租车服务。

6月早些时候，沙特阿拉伯政府开始向已经持有英国、黎巴嫩和加拿大等外国颁发的驾驶执照的女性发放沙特驾驶执照。这些女性在获得驾照前要先接受一个简短的驾车考试。

不过，沙特阿拉伯的大多数女性都没有驾驶执照。沙特阿拉伯的驾驶学校刚刚向女性开放几个月，很多女性还没有得到这样的机会。

彭博资讯社说，接受采访的沙特阿拉伯女性对有关驾照的新进展相当矛盾，既对能够驾驶汽车感到兴奋，又想维护传统文化。她们说，很可能需要一段时间社会才能接受这个变化。