Women gear up for life on the road with first batch of Saudi licenses

RIYADH - Saudi Arabia has started issuing its first driver's licenses to women in decades, authorities said, just weeks before the historic lifting of the kingdom's ban on female motorists.

Ten Saudi women on Monday swapped their foreign licenses for Saudi ones in multiple cities, including the capital Riyadh, as the kingdom prepares to end its ban on June 24.

Meanwhile, driving schools for women have been set up across five cities in the kingdom. Women with foreign driver's licenses will be able to apply for local ones through a separate process, which will also assess their driving skills.