Bahrain Mirror: Saudi women began started heading to Bahrain to receiving driving training to avoid long queues back in their country, Saudi Arabia's Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported, citing hundreds of Saudi women entering Bahrain to learn to drive.

"The demand for training on driving has been very high and driver's education applications continue to grow significantly. Recently, it has risen by 100 percent, according to a licensed driving instructor."

"The flow of Saudi women coming to learn how to drive a car in Bahrain is huge," said Ibrahim Al-Asfour, head of the Bahrain Driving Instructors Society. "The requirements are to be met are that the applicant must be over 18 years of age and resides in Bahrain. As for the factors that attract Saudi women to learn driving in Bahrain are the quality of training, proximity and fast access to instructors."

The trainee in Bahrain is required to complete 22 training hours at a cost of 7 dinars per hour (70 Saudi riyals). The close distance between the two countries allows women residing in the Eastern Province to travel to Bahrain from Dammam, Al-Ahsa, Qatif and Jubail, as driving schools in Saudi Arabia face intense pressure.

Arabic Version