Saudi women can now not just drive in the Kingdom, but can also apply for a general taxi license.

In another historic move, Saudi Arabia has taken a step forward to allow women to become drivers of taxis and cabs, announced the Saudi General Directorate of Traffic announced on the Twitter account, last week.

The announcement came in after four years of the decision to allow women to drive cars when the new law came into effect in 2019. Previously, Saudi Arabia was the only country in the world in which women were forbidden from driving motor vehicles.

However, Saudi women can now not just drive in the Kingdom, but can also apply for a general taxi license from one of the 18 driving schools across the country including Riyadh, Jeddah, Jazan, Asir, Najran, Jouf, Hail and Taif.

The cost for applying for a license is SR200 ($53), the department said.

With the decision of allowing women to drive cabs and taxis, the country aims to make women self-sufficient and earn livelihoods.

The new decision also paves way for the women of the Kingdom to be permitted to drive for online ride apps like Uber and Careem, among others.

In the last few years, Saudi Arabia has adopted several reforms to empower women, including guaranteeing that women can drive cars, enter playgroups and stadiums, and pursue occupations that were previously allowed only for men.

Saudi women are now officially allowed to drive trains, planes, race cars and even join armed forces. In 2021, the country opened up military posts for women for the first time which allowed them to report through a unified portal.