Saudi Gazette report

DAMMAM — A total of 67 women have so far received their driving licenses from Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University Driving School in Dammam while the number of women registered for training at the school has reached 13,000.

The process of obtaining a license has six steps. These include an initial registration, registering at the school’s website, registering for the training program, taking the theoretical training, taking the practical training and finally taking the test run by the Traffic Department.

The training takes place in an enclosed course at the school and outside of the school but within the university’s campus in Al-Rakah District.

To apply for a license, one has to be 18 or older. Candidates will then register at the driving school and pay the registration and training fees.

The training program includes five hours of theoretical training, two hours of traffic safety and security regulations presentation and 20 hours of practical training.

Applicants include women with foreign licenses wanting to replace them with a Saudi license, women with expired licenses wanting to renew their licenses and women who want to obtain a new license.

Women with foreign licenses have to take a driving test to replace their licenses. Women with expired licenses have to take six hours of training divided into two hours a day before undergoing a driving test. If they pass the test, they are issued licenses immediately. Failed candidates will have to undergo four hours of further training before repeating the test.