Saudi women-only motorshow opens in Jeddah

 

Saudi women are seen at the first automotive showroom solely dedicated for women in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia January 11, 2018. REUTERS/Reem Baeshen

 

JEDDAH (Reuters) - Women flocked to Le Mall in Jeddah on Thursday to check out the kingdom's first car exhibition aimed at women, a few months after Saudi Arabia granted them the right to drive.

 

Pink, orange and yellow balloons hung in the mall's showroom as women posed for photos and selfies in front of the cars. One woman in the driver's seat fixed her face cover. Another wrapped her turquoise-painted fingernails around the steering wheel, feeling it out.

 

In a decree issued in September, King Salman ordered by June an end to the ban on women drivers, a conservative tradition that has limited women's mobility and been seen by rights activists as an emblem of their suppression.

 

Saudi Arabia is the only country that bans women drivers. The landmark royal decree has been hailed as proof of a new progressive trend in the deeply conservative Muslim kingdom.

 

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 32, is the face of that change. Many young Saudis regard his recent ascent to power as proof their generation is taking a central place in running a country whose patriarchal traditions have for decades made power the province of the old and blocked women's progress.

 

"I've always been interested in cars, but we didn't have the ability to drive," said Ghada al-Ali, a customer. "And now I'm very interested in buying a car but I would like the payments and prices to not be very high."

 

Saudi Arabia's cost of living has risen after the government hiked domestic gas prices and introduced value-added tax (VAT) in January.

 

The exhibition focused on fuel-efficient cars and provided a team of saleswomen to help their new customer base. The showroom carried signs emblazoned with the slogan "Drive and Shop", a play on words in Arabic, using the female form of the verbs.

 

"It is known that women are the largest section who shop in malls," said Sharifa Mohammad, the heads the exhibition's saleswomen. "This whole mall is run by women anyway. All the cashiers are women. Everyone in the restaurants are women."

 

(Reporting by video team in Jeddah; Writing by Sarah Dadouch in Riyadh; Editing by Richard Chang)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-01-12

Presenters like this and you will pack the place..

 

I rather fancy the ‘pretty’ modeling the middle car

Motorshow without scantily clad models ? SMH

29 minutes ago, tonray said:

Motorshow without scantily clad models ? SMH

Since this is a motor show geared towards women, shouldn’t it be scantily-clad male models?

8 minutes ago, Thakkar said:

Since this is a motor show geared towards women, shouldn’t it be scantily-clad male models?

Stop right there before you destroy the auto industry. !

 

At long last, a step towards the emancipation of the oppressed stinking rich.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 12, 20188 yr by Enoon

Changes will be happening faster and faster in the KSA. I know a lot of Saudis especially late 20's to early 40's and they are nothing like the stereotypical remarks I often read on TVF.  The young population is huge and they want change now and they will get it. 

5 minutes ago, alex8912 said:

Changes will be happening faster and faster in the KSA. I know a lot of Saudis especially late 20's to early 40's and they are nothing like the stereotypical remarks I often read on TVF.  The young population is huge and they want change now and they will get it. 

Fingers crossed, but it's hard to imagine that those in power will give up control v easily.

 

A small step here and there is likely to be the extent of change for decades.

 

And even then - we're assuming the West remains the most powerful 'force'!

11 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

Fingers crossed, but it's hard to imagine that those in power will give up control v easily.

 

A small step here and there is likely to be the extent of change for decades.

 

And even then - we're assuming the West remains the most powerful 'force'!

I think once the woman start driving in June and start going to football games in the near future they might be driving OVER  some of the powers that be soon lol with all that freedom! 

4 minutes ago, alex8912 said:

I think once the woman start driving in June and start going to football games in the near future they might be driving OVER  some of the powers that be soon lol with all that freedom! 

Why on earth would you think that?

 

Women were allowed to drive in Britain ever since cars were invented, but received nothing close to equality for decades.

Edited January 12, 20188 yr by dick dasterdly

8 hours ago, Enoon said:

 

At long last, a step towards the emancipation of the oppressed stinking rich.

 

 

 

 

Now they can drive themselves to their own stoning.  Great leap forward in women's rights. 

Changes will be happening faster and faster in the KSA. I know a lot of Saudis especially late 20's to early 40's and they are nothing like the stereotypical remarks I often read on TVF.  The young population is huge and they want change now and they will get it. 

.......or be beheaded trying.

The SA muslim women....give them driving licences......next they'll want to actually drive!!

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11 hours ago, JoePai said:

I rather fancy the ‘pretty’ modeling the middle car

 

Could be a bloke!  You won't know until you get the wrapper off!

11 hours ago, JoePai said:

I rather fancy the ‘pretty’ modeling the middle car

 

I agree, but I hadn't noticed till I read yours.

 

Has this been thought through in Saudi? Are they going to have women only ambulances to pick them up after an accident? Will they have women only parking areas? What happens when they pulled over by a male policeman? What happens when they break down and a male mechanic comes to tow the car?

 

Unintended consequences and all that.

 

It's all smoke and mirrors anyway, By allowing something controversial in one area they are diverting attention from what is really going on. The very stuff of politics.

6 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Will they have women only parking areas? What happens when they pulled over by a male policeman? What happens when they break down and a male mechanic comes to tow the car?

 

There’s three good porn flick scripts right there. You sure you’re not a screen writer? ?

They look like they’re having fun

A good example of Saudi thinking about modernization can be seen in Kuala Lumpur. Saudi men bring their wives on holiday and the women are sent off shopping (still wearing full cover in many cases only eyes uncovered) while hubby chases Chinese prostitutes at the high end massage clubs. Women will not have many freedoms, I remember a Malay Muslim woman talking to her friend on the train while nervously eyeing a Saudi traveler and covered up wife, essentially they were saying "don't ever think you are bringing that nonsense here  or you'll lose some privates"