INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The move is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's far-reaching liberalisation driveRiyadh: Saudi Arabia on
Monday began issuing its first driving licences to women in decades, state media reported."The first group of women today received their
Saudi driving licences," the official Saudi Press Agency said."The general directorate of traffic started replacing international driving
licences recognised in the kingdom with Saudi licences," it added.The move comes as Saudi Arabia, the only country in the world where women
are not allowed drive, prepares to lift its decades-long ban on female drivers on June 24. SPA said authorities started swapping
international licences for Saudi ones in multiple locations across the kingdom, with women applicants made to undergo a "practical test".It
did not specify the number of licences issued.The move is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's far-reaching liberalisation drive as he
seeks to modernise the conservative petro-state.The self-styled reformer, who recently undertook a global tour aimed at reshaping his
kingdom's austere image, has sought to break with long-held restrictions on women and the mixing of the genders.But casting a shadow on the
reforms, Saudi Arabia last week said it detained 17 people for "undermining" the kingdom's security, in what campaigners have dubbed a
sweeping crackdown against activists.Rights groups have identified many of the detainees as women campaigners for the right to drive and to
end the conservative Islamic country's male guardianship system.Authorities said eight of the detainees had been "temporarily released"
until their investigation is completed.Nine suspects, including four women, remain in custody after they "confessed" to a slew of charges
such as suspicious contact with "hostile" organisations and recruiting people in sensitive government positions, according to
SPA.Authorities accused the detainees of "coordinated activity undermining the security and stability of the kingdom".Previous reports in
state-backed media branded some of the detainees traitors and "agents of embassies".Campaigners have dismissed the reports as a "smear"
The crackdown has also sparked a torrent of global criticism.
