Motor show in Saudi Arabia caters for women drivers only
As the kingdom prepares to allow women to drive, they have been checking out the latest models at a shopping mall in Jeddah.
Friday 12 January 2018 12:25, UK
As Saudi Arabia prepares to allow women to drive, a car show has been held for female customers only at a shopping mall in Jeddah.
King Salman issued a decree in September that said women would be allowed to get behind the wheel by June 2018.
As well as cars, they will also be able to drive trucks and motorcycles.
The country's unique ban on women drivers has been rejected by female activists for decades, some of whom were jailed for taking to the roads.
"I've always been interested in cars, but we didn't have the ability to drive," said one of the visitors to the show, Ghada al Ali.
"Now I'm very interested in buying a car, but I would like the payments and prices to not be very high."
Many of the models on show are fuel-efficient.
Sharifa Mohammad, who is leading the show's team of saleswomen, said a mall was a good place to locate the showcase.
"It is known that women are the largest section who shop in malls," she said.
"This whole mall is run by women anyway. All the cashiers are women. Everyone in the restaurants are women."