Women In Saudi Arabia Are Offering Each Other Free Driving Lessons

There’s a hashtag trending on Twitter

The countdown to women being allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia is on. From June this year women across the kingdom will legally be able to get behind the wheel for the first time.

But there’s one hurdle to overcome first – lessons. Women whose husbands or relatives have taken them out on the roads will need to complete 30 hours, while women with no experience will need 90 hours.

With lessons starting at around 60 riyals per hour (Dhs59), this adds up to at least Dhs5,300 in lessons for a woman with no experience to get a driving license.

Keen to start a movement for women to help each other with costs, 32-year-old Hanaa Aldhafery started the hashtag #مستعده_ادرب (which translates to #iam_ready_to_train_you), in order to encourage people to give women free lessons.

She tweeted: “Are there any volunteers who are ready to train others to drive for free? (And the training will be after Ramadan because we don’t want any trouble with the law and the training will be in parking lots away from crowded places) If the answer is yes write the name of your city in the #مستعده_ادرب”

Her tweet sparked a huge response from both men and women offering up their spare time. “#iam_ready_to_train_you and yes and a thousand times yes with the women tribe,” wrote one women in Arabic. “I’m ready to train in Riyadh,” wrote another, also in Arabic.

#مستعده_ادرب Luv u girls pic.twitter.com/6aF9P59OdP

— 엠마 (@0_wings_0) April 18, 2018

There has been an outpouring of love and support to these tweets, with many touched by the kindness of people that they’ve never met. “I’m going to cry girls. You’re all so amazing!, “wrote one Twitter user.