Applications for female driving instructors have opened at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University (PNU) in Riyadh.
The female-only university is inviting women in the kingdom, Saudi nationals and legal foreigners, to apply for the new positions.
"We’ve just begun to accept instructors’ registrations through our website,” the general supervisor for media management at the PNU, Amani Al-Hammad, told Arab News.
Hammad explained that interested applicants must have a valid driver’s license and certified trainer’s permit.
Women who'd like to apply should submit a copy of their national ID or valid residency card, a copy of a valid driver’s license, a copy of a recent medical examination, their CV, proof of educational qualifications, a certified trainer’s permit, and a second language certificate.
Last year, following Saudi Arabia's landmark decision to grant women their right to drive, King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah and Princess Noura Bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh were among the first to announce plans to establish women's driving schools.
Instructions at the schools will be in line with international standards, in conjunction with a royal decree allowing women in the kingdom to drive, according to local media reports.
In addition to driving schools, the kingdom has plans to establish programs to train women in car maintenance.
According to Saudi Gazette, special women's vehicles maintenance centers will be established, where women will assist female drivers. Many private and governmental sectors will invest in this field, organizing courses in cooperation with global technical institutes to train women in car repair and maintenance, identifying a vehicle's main parts, identifying road and signal systems, and emergency maintenance.
Women in Saudi Arabia were granted the right to drive after a royal decree was issued and made public at the end of September, ending the long-standing policy that had been criticized by international campaigners and women’s groups.
The royal decree mandated the creation of a ministerial body to give advice on the practicalities of the order within 30 days and a full implementation of the order by June 2018.
Signed by King Salman, the order said the traffic laws would be amended in order to allow the government to issue driver’s licenses for men and women.
"I think our leadership understands our society is ready," Prince Khalid Bin Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, said at the time.