Expert Info
on 8 Mar 2012
I'm moving to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with my husband. He will be working during the day and I will basically be a house wife. I hvae heard that women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia. Is this true? I'm worried that I will not be able to get around Jeddah independently. What options do I have for transport in Jeddah as a women living in Saudi Arabia?
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Your best option to get around Jeddah is to hire a driver to drive your car. Your husband's company may well provide such a service, so it may be worth finding out about this.
Driving in Saudi Arabia can be a scary experience and the rules of the road are often ignored - so perhaps you're almost lucky you won't be subjected to it! To read more about driving in Saudi Arabia, check out our Transport and Driving in Saudi Arabia page.
don't worry about transport - women manage very well to get where ever they need to go.
firstly ther is a large expat female population so you are not alone with the problem. If you live on a compound then there are buses every day to the major malls. Most compound run a limo service at small cost plus a number of companies provide drivers for employees wives and these get shared around.
Secondly - a large amount of the social life takes place on the compounds so travel around Jeddah is not as extensive as you would expect - not least because shops close in the afternoon and reopen in the evening
You will miss the indipendence of driving, all the women do, but it is not a major issue from day to day.
Public transport in none existant but taxis are everywhere - they do vary in quality though
hope this helps
David