Five women held for defying driving ban

Saudi Arabian police detained five women for defying the conservative kingdom's driving ban, an activist has said, although police claimed they had detained only one.

"All the cases were in Jeddah and we were really surprised to hear this because this was not the case before," said Saudi activist Eman al-Nafjan yesterday.

Authorities have appeared to allow driving this month by dozens of women who answered a call from groups, including "Women2Drive" and "Women's Right to Drive in KSA", to challenge the ban.

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A police official in Jeddah said only one woman, who was driving with her brother in the Red Sea port, had been detained.

Although there is no written law against women driving, they are not issued licences, effectively banning the practice.

Women in Saudi Arabia must also have written approval from a male guardian to leave the country, work or even undergo certain medical operations.