Saudi women told to fight driving ban

Saudi Arabia's ban on women driving on the kingdom's roads could be overturned by legal challenges in local courts since there is no federal prohibition, a top Saudi government official has said.

Speaking at the opening of the Jedda Economic Forum, Iyad Madani, Saudi minister of culture and information, on Saturday urged would-be Saudi women drivers to try to overturn the ban.

"There is nothing in the written laws of the country that prohibits women from applying for a driver's licence," Madani said, responding to a question on women's voting rights from British Baroness Emma Nicholson, a member of the House of Lords.
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The political atmosphere in Riyadh, however, is opening somewhat, and Madani urged women to seek more representation on non-political groups as a prelude to running for office