This month, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is putting women in the driving seat as the ban on driving for women will be lifted on June 24th to be precise
This month, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is putting women in the driving seat as the ban on driving for women will be lifted on June 24th to be precise and who better to be on the cover of Vogue Arabia, Saudi Arabia issue, in commemoration of that, HRH Hayfa bint Abdullah Al Saud. The landmark issue, which is the first-ever Vogue Arabia edition dedicated to Saudi Arabia, places Her Royal Highness, the daughter of the late King Abdullah, in the driving seat for the cover. Also the history-making June 2018 issue, celebrates the women of the Kingdom and their wide-reaching achievements.
A mother of three, the princess Hayfa who dedicates her life to her family and her art, opens up about the reforms taking place under the government’s Saudi Vision 2030.
“In our country, there are some conservatives who fear change. For many, it’s all they have known. Personally, I support these changes with great enthusiasm,” remarked HRH. It is easy to comment on other people’s societies and think that your own society is superior, but the Western world must remember that each country is specific and unique. We have strengths and weaknesses but, invariably, it’s our culture, and it’s better to try to understand it than to judge it.”
The groundbreaking issue also features many other pioneering Saudi women paving inspirational paths in the Kingdom, such as Manal al-Sharif, who has been vital in the women’s rights movement in the region, and Saja Kamal, a footballer who is working towards establishing the Kingdom’s first-ever women’s football team to take to the FIFA World Cup. Prominent actor, Ahd Kamel, the first Saudi star to appear in a Netflix series; Fatimah Baeshen, the first spokeswoman appointed at the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC; and Shanina Shaik, the part-Saudi supermodel who has walked for Tom Ford and Stella McCartney.
Read the full interview here
