I didn't know they had Uber over in Saudi Arabia, but I sure am glad they do so these women can get around
Banned from driving, Saudi women turn to ride-sharing apps
Women are banned from driving and mass transit is poor, so they’ve started to rely on their smartphones to find rides.
By Alexandra Zavis Los Angeles Times
MAY 19, 2015 — 5:33PM
The face of a woman is missing in this roadside billboard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – When Hala Radwan returned to Saudi Arabia after obtaining a business degree in France, she was eager to put her new skills to use.
She found a marketing job for a big international company. There was just one problem: How would she get to and from work in the only country that does not allow women to drive?
The mass transit options are notoriously poor. The cost of hiring a chauffeur was prohibitive. And she didn’t want to deal with the negative comments she would face if she tried to hail a cab in the conservative kingdom, where a woman using public transportation on her own is often seen as lacking morals.
“It was a nightmare,” she said. Friends tipped her off to a solution: Uber and a regional competitor called Careem.
Smartphone-based ride services are becoming increasingly popular in Saudi Arabia, especially among the large number of tech-savvy young people. Customers include foreign businessmen who don’t want to deal with the country’s sometimes chaotic taxi system. But more than 80 percent of users are women, the app companies say.
Continue reading at:
http://www.startribune.com/banned-from-driving-saudi-women-turn-to-ride-sharing-
Banned from driving, Saudi women turn to ride-sharing apps
Women are banned from driving and mass transit is poor, so they’ve started to rely on their smartphones to find rides.
By Alexandra Zavis Los Angeles Times
MAY 19, 2015 — 5:33PM
The face of a woman is missing in this roadside billboard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – When Hala Radwan returned to Saudi Arabia after obtaining a business degree in France, she was eager to put her new skills to use.
She found a marketing job for a big international company. There was just one problem: How would she get to and from work in the only country that does not allow women to drive?
The mass transit options are notoriously poor. The cost of hiring a chauffeur was prohibitive. And she didn’t want to deal with the negative comments she would face if she tried to hail a cab in the conservative kingdom, where a woman using public transportation on her own is often seen as lacking morals.
“It was a nightmare,” she said. Friends tipped her off to a solution: Uber and a regional competitor called Careem.
Smartphone-based ride services are becoming increasingly popular in Saudi Arabia, especially among the large number of tech-savvy young people. Customers include foreign businessmen who don’t want to deal with the country’s sometimes chaotic taxi system. But more than 80 percent of users are women, the app companies say.
Continue reading at:
http://www.startribune.com/banned-from-driving-saudi-women-turn-to-ride-sharing-
