Abdul Latif Jameel Motors launches strategic partnership to support women’s driving schools across Saudi Arabia

The announcement will see Abdul Latif Jameel Motors provide 500 specially adapted vehicles ahead of women driving later this year. The driving schools, which are approved by the General Directorate of Traffic, will open in the coming weeks.

Abdul Latif Jameel Motors will also provide maintenance, spare parts and technical support to all vehicles as part of the partnership.

The partnership, which is called ‘Together from the Start’ was announced at an event in Princess Noura Bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh. The event was attended by His Excellency Major General Mohammed Al Bassami, General Directorate of Traffic, Hassan Jameel, Deputy President and Vice Chairman of Abdul Latif Jameel, and Nobuhiko Murakami, Chief Executive Officer, East Asia, Oceania & Middle East Region for Toyota Motor Corporation. 

Hassan Jameel said: “Allowing women to drive is a significant milestone for Saudi Arabia, and our society as a whole, and we are delighted to be playing a part in the process. Women driving will ultimately give them more mobility in every sense – logistically, socially and economically – while at the same time have a positive impact on the country’s development in the long term, which is a key pillar of Saudi Vision 2030.”

According to official government figures, more than 20,000 women enrolled for driving schools in the first week of applications, with the number expected to rise exponentially in the coming months.

As part of a broader agreement with the universities, Bab Rizq Jameel, Community Jameel’s job creation initiative, will also be running courses on women empowerment, small business development in the arts and culture space, as well as road safety initiatives.

The partnership aims to support the government’s drive to get more women in the workforce, contributing to the country’s economic development and diversification. Under Saudi Vision 2030, the government aims to increase women’s participation in the workforce from 22% to 30%.