Princess Urges Saudi Women Be Allowed To Drive
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
DAVOS, Switzerland — The most prominent princess in Saudi Arabia’s royal family said yesterday that if she could change one thing about her country, she would let women drive — a rare and direct challenge to the driving ban imposed by the kingdom’s ruling male elite.
The remarks from Princess Lolwah Al-Faisal, 59, daughter of a former Saudi king and sister of the current foreign minister, came at the World Economic Forum — a gathering known for getting world leaders to engage in frank, often off-the-record dialogue without fear of criticism.
Ms. Faisal, however, spoke at a public session on promoting religious tolerance. The moderator, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, asked panelists at one point to “self-criticize” and say what they would change to promote greater interfaith understanding.
Turning to the princess, he quipped: “What would you do, princess, if you were ‘queen’ for a day? I won’t tell anyone.”
“First thing, I’d let women drive,” Ms. Faisal said. Her comments show that while Saudi Arabia often presents a united front to the outside world, different opinions and vigorous debate exist in private.
