Photo of a woman behind the wheel sparks outrage in Saudi Arabia
Last week, King Salman issued a decree that women would finally be able to drive in Saudi Arabia – but not everyone is happy about the.
In celebration of the announcement, one man took to Twitter to share a joyful selfie of him teaching his wife how to drive in an empty car park.
The Tweet translates to: “I started teaching my wife ow to drive in one of the private parking spaces in a safe and legal way, preparing for the law to take effect.”
بدأت بتدريب زوجتي في أحد المواقف الخاصة بشكل آمن وقانوني استعداداً للنظام #السماح_بقيادة_المرأة #لنقود_معاً #الملك_ينتصر_لقيادة_المرأة pic.twitter.com/2EswQU5cBE
— Faisal BaDughaish (@badughaish) September 30, 2017
However, what should have been a happy memory for the couple has been spoiled by the mixed reaction the photo received.
One Twitter user by the name of Bderr1992 wrote: “Don't you feel embarrassed or protective of her when posting her picture? Shame on you.”
Speaking to the BBC, Faisal explained how he and his wife had been “waiting patiently” for the controversial driving ban to be lifted, and was hoping that his photo might encourage other men to teach their female relatives how to drive.
Many women had a positive response to the photo with one user commenting: "Tomorrow, my son Azzam will teach me how to drive."
The new law will come into effect from June 2018, though in the meantime, Fasial has said he want to inspire female drivers to train in a legal and safe way.
