Cheers, catcalls as Saudi ends ban on women driving

Riyadh

MILLIONS of smartphones across Saudi Arabia pinged non-stop with words of disbelief and congratulations after the surprise announcement that the kingdom will remove the ban on women driving.

"It's amazing," said 20-year-old Reyouf Almuhaya, a college student, speaking by phone from Riyadh. "I might have cried a little. It feels good. It feels free. Freedom is all I can think about right now." Like many women, Ms Almuhaya was sitting in the back of a car - a hired male driver behind the wheel - when she heard the news. She tried to tell the driver, and he was not pleased about the change, she said. "He was like, when am I going to leave then?" she said.