RIYADH: As the clock struck 12 midnight, the decades-old ban on women driving was lifted in Saudi Arabia. What was unimaginable a few years ago has now become a reality.
Several women with foreign licenses have already obtained Saudi driving licenses and those who do not know driving are making full use of the infrastructure set in place to help them learn.
From Sunday onward, women behind the wheel will be a common sight on the Kingdom’s roads. People should also prepare themselves to see women revving motorbikes as well.
Opting for the two-wheelers gives many women a sense of empowerment. Alia Abu Dhuhair, a Saudi banker from Tabuk, told Arab News that she had been passionate about bikes since her childhood.
“I love motorcycles because it reminds me of the good old days when we used to go to the beach. We used to ride them there.”
“It made me feel happy and free. I wish to ride a motorcycle instead of a car. It is faster, without any parking hassles and one feels free and cool,” she said.
Shahad Al-Harbi, a Saudi marketing student in Chicago, is also a bike lover, who finds biking an adrenaline-pumping activity. She said she had tried riding a bike with one of her friends in Chicago. “It was really an amazing experience.”
Both the Saudi bike lovers agree that Harley-Davidson motorcycles are the best in the world. As a matter of fact, Harley-Davidson is the dream of every person passionate about motorbikes.
“The brand is also very popular here in Saudi Arabia. Harley-Davidson is special because of its unique design, strength and luxury,” said Abu Dhuhair.
Both believe that their parents might not encourage them to ride motorbikes mainly because of safety concerns.
Al-Harbi said: “My parents are very protective and I do not think they will be supportive of the idea. They may feel uneasy because of the stories we hear about accidents involving motorbikes.”
“I believe Saudi women will prove to be good motorcyclists because they drive cautiously and strictly follow traffic rules,” she added.
In Saudi Arabia and many other countries, it is mandatory to obtain a license to ride a bike. Like elsewhere, there are training institutes in the Kingdom.
Wael bin Huraib, director of the Bikers Skill Institute, told Arab News about the institute and what programs it offers to women.
“We train people who are passionate about. All of our instructors are well experienced and certified,” he said.
The Riyadh-based Bikers Skill Institute is considered the first institute to conduct structured motorbike training in Saudi Arabia. Established in 2011, the institute mainly focuses on safety through skills and offers courses, such as the Basic Motorcycle Riding, Smart Riding, Top Gun, Motogymkhana, Off-Road Trainings and Kids Motorcycle Schools. It not only offers training to males but has also designed special courses for women.
Huraib said: “The females’ section is well equipped and has female trainers. The courses comply with international standards and generally consist of two parts — theory and field training.”
Harley-Davidson has been operating in Saudi Arabia since 2004. Initially, it started operations from Riyadh but over time it has expanded to other cities such as Jeddah and Alkhobar.
The CEO of Harley Davidson in Saudi Arabia, Mishal Al-Mutlaq, said: “We care about the safety of our clients so we focus on the safety features of our motorcycles. These days, the number of women visiting our stores has increased. We have brought in feminine colors that will be appreciated more by females. A motorcycle is just like a car. Its features and engine have nothing to do with genders. Women can drive all kinds of Harley-Davidson motorcycles like their male counterparts.”
Harley-Davidson is famous for organizing events like motorbike rallies, especially for its members.
When asked about the possibility of organizing such an event in the Kingdom, he said: “In the near future, we might consider a special event for females and hire females in our stores as trainers and in the sales department. We use to have female employees in the female accessories section. We are planning to focus on that more.”
“Today the store does not only have motorcycles but also accessories, souvenirs and clothes for females so we are used to seeing females in the store buying things from us.”
The Saudi Driving School in Princess Noura University also offers a motorbike driver’s license. As its website says, the requirements for obtaining a motorbike license are simple. “The candidates must be 16 or older, unlike the private driver’s license, where the applicants must be 18 or older. To obtain a motorbike driver’s license, the applicant also needs to bring written permission from a guardian if she is under 18, along with official documents like IDs and photos.
Not just four-wheelers, Saudi women want to hit the road on two-wheels
Not just four-wheelers, Saudi women want to hit the road on two-wheels
Launch of Cinamaa platform marks push for film studies in Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Film Commission and National Film Archive launch platform to educate and support budding filmmakers
- Experts describe the importance of developing film studies in Saudi Arabia
RIYADH: The Saudi Film Commission has introduced a new initiative, Cinamaa, to promote film studies and support people entering the industry.
A launch event was held on Wednesday at the Cultural Palace in Riyadh, hosted by the commission and National Film Archive.
The Cinamaa website, a platform intended to help educate aspiring filmmakers, critics, and film enthusiasts, allowing them to share their work, gives users access to articles, research studies, discussions, workshops, and short films on various topics related to film.
Following a panel discussion in which she spoke on the importance of film studies in academia, Salma Tarek, professor of literature at the University of Cairo’s French language department, told Arab News: “We need to distinguish between academic studies, meaning university-level education, and studies at film institutes, which aim to train technicians and filmmakers.”
The latter is very important and widely available, she said, but cinema studies at the school and university levels are still lacking.
“Abroad, for example, children in elementary school have reading and literacy programs that include a section on how to ‘read’ a film. They learn what a shot is, what camera movement means, because these have become part of the basic language of how we interpret the world around us,” Tarek said.
“Cinema is no longer just an art form; it is a form of discourse. We are constantly exposed to it, and it’s very important that we learn how to decode its messages.”
Tarek said that these are messages that are constantly being sent to viewers, who must receive them in an open and thoughtful way.
“The university is the institution best suited to play this role.”
When asked what can be done to push this agenda forward, the professor said that first, there must be conviction in the value of cinema studies, a task she said is “not simple.”
The entry point, however, is in interdisciplinary studies.
“For example, literature departments can offer courses on the relationship between performance art and cinema. In history departments, there can be a course on cinema and history. Gradually, these borders will open up, and we will start to develop a cinematic culture within academic institutions.”
These institutions will then have the capabilities and foundation to establish dedicated departments for cinema studies, which Tarek said is the “ultimate goal.”
The panel also discussed the need for more original Arabic content in addition to translations of foreign films.
Tareq Al-Khawaji, film critic and cultural adviser at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, said that young Saudis interested in screenplay writing have a great opportunity to develop scripts that can contribute to bolstering the cinematic scene in the Kingdom.
The launch of Cinamaa was followed by the signing of two memoranda of understanding between the Saudi Film Commission and its partners, the Saudi Broadcasting Authority and the International Federation of Film Critics.
The commission’s CEO Abdullah Al-Qahtani took the stage with Mohammed Fahad Al-Harthi, SBA CEO and former editor in chief of Arab News, and Fipresci CEO Ahmad Shawky.
The establishment of the Cinema Critics Association was also announced, the first independent professional entity dedicated to film criticism in Saudi.
At the end of the night, the doors opened to welcome guests into an exhibition on film history in the Arab world.
Red Sea Global unveils Laheq Island, a landmark luxury-living destination
- Laheq Island opens in 2028, first to focus on residential ownership
- One of the world’s largest barrier reefs with over 2,000 rare species
TABUK: Red Sea Global has unveiled Laheq Island, Saudi Arabia’s first private residential island offering a luxury lifestyle experience.
The island marks the RSG’s first residential project following the completion of phase one, which welcomed its first guests in 2023 with the opening of five resorts.
Construction is underway to complete an additional 11 resorts on Shura Island, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
The destination is connected with other parts of the Kingdom and the world via the Red Sea International Airport.
Scheduled to open in 2028, Laheq Island will be the first project within the destination focused on residential ownership, complemented by exceptional hospitality facilities and services, the SPA reported.
Laheq is part of an archipelago of 92 pristine islands along the Kingdom’s west coast, surrounded by one of the world’s largest barrier reefs that are home to over 2,000 rare and unique marine species.
The island spans 400 hectares and features a wide array of recreational facilities and activities for residents and visitors.
The RSG, owned by the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, has pledged to plant 50 million mangrove trees and enhance their habitats while also regenerating coral reefs and surrounding marine ecosystems.
The Red Sea destination will become the world’s largest tourism attraction with all facilities and resorts powered entirely by renewable energy, the SPA reported.
All 16 resorts of phase one are expected to be operational this year. By 2030, it will have 50 resorts with 8,000 hotel rooms, and more than 1,000 residential units across 22 islands and six inland sites.
Investigation debunks claims about coalition strikes in Yemen
- Coalition’s Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) held a meeting to address allegations regarding airstrikes in various regions of Yemen
RIYADH: An investigation found that a number of airstrikes carried out by The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen did not target civilian sites including a hospital and farm as claimed.
The coalition’s Joint Incidents Assessment Team held a meeting on Wednesday to address allegations regarding airstrikes in various regions of Yemen in recent years.
On Jan. 13, 2022, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that an airstrike partially damaged the emergency department and inpatient clinics of a hospital in the Al-Sawad area.
It was claimed that coalition forces targeted a military camp near the hospital.
The JIAT reviewed relevant documentation and found that a military camp, known as Al-Sawad camp, was located near the 48 Model Hospital, which is on the coalition forces’ no strike list.
On the day of the alleged strike, coalition forces conducted a targeted airstrike on military targets within the camp, based on intelligence regarding Houthi militia activities.
The bombs were guided and aimed to minimize civilian impact, hitting their intended targets accurately and remaining a safe distance from the hospital.
Therefore, the JIAT concluded that coalition forces did not target the hospital on Jan. 13, 2022.
On March 3, 2021, reports emerged alleging that coalition forces conducted an airstrike targeting a farm in the Al-Watadah area of the Khawlan Directorate in Sanaa Governorate.
The JIAT said it reviewed documents, including air tasking orders, daily mission schedules and satellite imagery.
The investigation revealed that no specific coordinates for the alleged farm were provided.
The JIAT found no record of airstrikes in Al-Watadah on the date in question, nor in the days surrounding it. Open-source searches yielded no corroborating information.
In conclusion, the JIAT determined that coalition forces did not target a farm in Al-Watadah on March 3, 2021, as alleged.
Other reports indicated that a missile fell near a house in Al-Malaheet village on Feb. 23, 2020. The JIAT investigated and found no evidence that coalition forces had conducted missile strikes in the area on that date.
On June 4, 2015, allegations surfaced regarding an airstrike on the governorate building in Zinjibar. The JIAT confirmed that no air missions were conducted in Abyan on that date.
Through these investigations, the JIAT aims to clarify allegations and uphold accountability and transparency.
Saudi deputy FM receives Mauritania envoy in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Saud Al-Sati received Ambassador of Mauritania to the Kingdom Mokhtar Ould Dahi in Riyadh on Wednesday.
During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations and various issues of common interest, the Foreign Ministry wrote on X.
Meanwhile, Faisal Al-Harbi presented a copy of his credentials as non-resident ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Pholile Dlamini Shakantu, the Eswatinian foreign minister, the Saudi Embassy in South Africa wrote on X.
