AH, ENTERING THE LATTER PART OF THE 19TH CENTURY – AT 1:30 P.M. ET:  The women of Saudi Arabia, they got wheels.  From AFP:

Riyadh (AFP) - Saudi Arabia allowed women to drive from Sunday, overturning the world's only ban on female motorists, a historic reform that is expected to usher in a new era of social mobility.

The move, which follows a sweeping crackdown on women activists who long opposed the ban, is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's wide-ranging reform drive to modernise the conservative petrostate.

Women in the capital Riyadh and other cities began zipping around streets bathed in amber floodlights soon after the ban was lifted at midnight, some in cars with thumping stereo music.

"It is a historic moment for every Saudi woman," said Sabika al-Dosari, a Saudi television presenter before driving a sedan across the border to the kingdom of Bahrain.

The lifting of the decades-long ban, a glaring symbol of repression against women, is expected to be transformative for many women, freeing them from their dependence on private chauffeurs or male relatives.

"This is a great achievement," billionaire Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal said as his daughter Reem drove a family SUV, with his granddaughters applauding from the back seat.

COMMENT:  Great.  I hope it ushers in a new era of freedom, and new outreach to the West.  And I hope Saudi women learn all about satellite radio and moon roofs. 

We can sell cars there.

June 24,  2018