30 September, 2017
The prosecutor's announcement comes two days after a separate arrest warrant was issued for a man who threatened in a video clip posted online to attack women drivers.
This recommendation was approved by the Council in its 49th meeting on September 29. Till now, the only governmental body authorised to issue fatwas in the Kingdom was the General Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta.
Set up in 2016, the authority was created by royal decree, as part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 programme for economic and social reforms, to offer entertainment options for Saudis and diversify the economy away from its dependence on oil.
The GEA was set up a year ago as part of the Vision 2030 reform programme to provide entertainment options for Saudis, who are accustomed to travelling overseas to see shows and visit amusement parks in nearby Dubai and further afield.
Over the years, Saudi clerics have come up with several explainations for banning the women drivers, with one claiming that driving harmed women's ovaries.
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud issued an official decree last Tuesday, repealing a decades-long ban on driving for women in the country.
The Shoura Council's decision was welcomed by he majority of the population, as well as the specialists in Islamic law and jurisprudence.
Appreciating the move, Saad Al-Quwaie, Professor of Juristic Policy at the Naif College for National Security said that the participation of women in Islamic jurisprudence is important.
