Saudi's ban on women driving officially ends

Riyadh: Saudi women are officially allowed to get behind the wheel, after a decades-old driving ban was lifted.

The change was announced last September and Saudi Arabia issued the first licences to women earlier this month, BBC reported on Sunday.

It was the only country left in the world where women could not drive and families had to hire private chauffeurs for female relatives.

Thousands of women could soon take to the roads.

"It is a historic moment for every Saudi woman," Saudi television presenter said.

She said she was behind the wheel minutes after the end of the driving ban at midnight local time (21:00 GMT Saturday).

"Those days of waiting long hours for a driver are over," said pharmacy student Hatoun bin Dakhil, 21. "We no longer need a man."