A Saudi prince says he has 'no doubt' women will drive

It seems as though Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is not the only prince pushing for women's rights in Saudi Arabia. 

In a recent interview with the privately-owned TV channel Rotana Khaleejia, Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah, a member of the ruling family and a former Saudi education minister, voiced his support for women's rights - specifically, their right to drive and lead society.

The prince used his appearance to discuss the importance of women to the kingdom. 

"I have great pride in Saudi women. They are mothers, wives, and daughters, and I take immense pride in them and in their faith, beliefs, and commitments in our modern times," he said, according to CNN Money. 

"Women in Saudi Arabia are the bases of society and they hold a significant place in Islamic civilization." 

He then went on to talk about women's right to drive and his hopes that Saudi women will eventually lead society.

"The ban on women driving has been imposed on us, and women in the past used to lead their own camels. Women need to be empowered, because they represent more than half of the society and they are highly dependable," he added, according to Gulf News.

Soon after, his name began making the rounds on Saudi Twitter ... ultimately going viral under the Arabic hashtag which translates to "Prince Faysal: Women Driving is coming soon."

In 2016, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal took a stand for women's rights in the kingdom in an open letter titled "It is High Time that Saudi Women Started Driving their Cars." 

In the letter, he compared a woman's right to drive with her right to an education and a career. 

"Preventing a woman from driving a car today is an issue of rights similar to the one that forbade her from receiving an education or having an independent identity," he wrote. 

Talal said that social stigma was previously associated with these two things. With time, these aspects of Saudi life have changed for women in the kingdom.

The country "sought to adopt a patient strategy, allowing Saudi to evolve according to its own pace and wishes." 

Now, it is "high time that Saudi women started driving their cars, and it is high time that we turn the page on this issue the way we did on tens of other major ones." 

The ongoing debate about women's right to drive in the kingdom has intensified over the past few years. 

Under the current law, there is no official prohibition on women driving in Saudi Arabia. But officials do not issue driver's licenses to women. 

In April 2016, two female council members >expressed optimism about reopening the debate surrounding the issue. But in November of the same year, the Shura Council >refused to even examine the issue. 

Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that does not allow women to drive