Female drivers in Saudi Arabia took to the roads as soon as the kingdom-wide ban on women drivers expired on the midnight of 23 June.

The kingdom issued the first licenses to women drivers on 5 June, when 10 women traded their foreign driving licenses for Saudi driving permits.

Sources in Saudi Arabia said up to 2,000 women were to receive their driving license before 24 June.

The lifting of the ban is expected to help drive economic growth in the kingdom by directly increasing women’s participation in the labour pool.

Women currently account for 20 per cent of the kingdom’s “productive capacity,” which is under half of the Gulf average of 42 per cent.

Until the lifting of the ban, Saudi Arabia was the only country in the world where women are not allowed to drive.

The lifting of the ban on female drivers is one of a number of social reforms being implemented by King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud.

Other reforms in recent months include the lifting of the ban on cinemas and allowing women to attend sporting events.