Tuesday 12th July 2005

A Saudi newspaper reported that a woman had defied the country’s ban on female drivers to save her husband after he collapsed at the wheel. The couple were driving from the city of Dammam to Riyadh when the man suffered breathing problems and passed out. His wife grabbed the wheel and drove 15km (10 miles) to a petrol station where he was treated and recovered. The man had reportedly taught his wife to drive during trips to the desert. The kingdom imposes severe restrictions on women, including barring them from voting or going out in public unaccompanied by a male relative. Saudi Arabia’s interior minister dismissed growing pressure to allow women to drive. Conservatives argued that if women were allowed to drive, they would be able to mix freely with men.