The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is in the news a lot lately. If not for the Syrian situation or the emerging diplomatic spat with the US over Iran, then for an issue that pops up every so often … that of women driving.

On Oct 26, a social media-led campaign brought Saudi women drivers on the roads (though this has not happened for the first time) and also brought out the authoprites, who were anxious to clamp down on them. According to reports 12 women drivers were questioned all over the country.

Interestingly, there is no law barring women from driving in the Kingdom, and the ‘informal’ ban is said to have stemmed from a fatwa issued by the Council of Senior Islamic Scholars of Saudi Arabia in the early ’90s. Attempts have been made to challenge the ban, and recently three female members of the advisory Shura council recommended that the council “recognise the right of women to drive a car in accordance with the principles of Sharia (Islamic law) and traffic rules”. The move was rejected by the council.

But while the situation of Saudi women often makes headlines in the international media, what about the Pakistani women who live in KSA?

Saudi Arabia is like a second home to around 1.5 million Pakistanis, men and women alike. Of these women, most are those who relocated after their husbands landed a job in the Kingdom, and then there are also some lady doctors who decided to pursue their professional career here in Saudi Arabia. I pointed out the doctors because, in general, there is no work visa policy for women to pursue a professional career other than the medical field. The main reason for this is the demand, and what Saudi Arabia needs right now are lady doctors. Pakistani women who are already residing here do get the opportunity to teach in private schools, but they very rarely directly hire male or female teachers from Pakistan.

The overall employment rate of women in Saudi Arabia stands at less than 12 per cent as per a World Bank report on gender equality and development, which puts Saudi Arabia at the 11th position in the Middle East and North Africa. Even those Pakistani women who are well educated and have job experience find themselves with few job opportunities.

“Hiring agencies show a different and rosy picture and when you reach Saudi Arabia, things can be difficult. Initially it can be depressing but then you tell yourself to get on with the job,” says Dr Aasiya, a 42-year-old gynaecologist and a single mother of two kids.

It is a different story for housewives. The initial period tends to be good while they explore huge shopping malls, beaches and eating places. They make friends with the wives of their husbands’ colleagues and neighbouring families. But after a while, monotony sets in and they start missing family and friends. While professionals like Dr Aasiya have their work to keep them busy, for stay-at-home wives, the adjustment is not easy to make.

Pakistani women who come from a more conservative family background handle the transition with relative ease, although this is something of a generalisation. Even Dr Aasiya didn’t find adjusting to Saudi culture especially daunting. “Saudi society provided me with security and respect. The Pakistani community around here is very cooperative so it’s easy to manage yourself.”

She does, however, admit that the constraints on the movement of women, especially the driving restrictions, make her more dependant on others than she would like, especially since she has no husband to take her around.

Amna, a newly-wed law graduate from Sargodha, feels completely handicapped by not being allowed to drive here, “I use to drive in Pakistan, to my university and anywhere else I needed to go. But because I am not allowed to drive I can’t even share my husband’s responsibilities.”

Of course, a lot of that depends on where you live. Women are allowed to drive inside the oil extracting company Aramco’s compound, Aramco City, located in the city of Dhahran. An unidentified woman in full niqab, claiming that she drove on Najah Street in Al-Ahsa on Oct 26, said on her YouTube video while driving, “I have a driver’s license and I know how to handle it. There is no danger.”

However, most Pakistani expats aren’t lucky enough to live in such compounds. The most common living arrangement for expatriates is living in flats, which consist of two, or sometimes even a single bedroom. For those Pakistanis used to living in big ventilated houses, these flats can be stifling. And given that many Pakistani women here spend most of their time in these flats, the walls can certainly close in.

Interestingly, it is a misconception that women in KSA cannot move out of their houses without a mehram. It is a common sight to see Saudi women going to markets with their female friends and children but for some reason, many Pakistani women here seem reluctant to do so. That then is more a matter of perception and custom than law.

Speaking of law, it is in the legal profession that Saudi women won a significant victory recently. Saudi women who hold law degrees began a concerted campaign in 2011 to be allowed to practice law in their own country. On October 2012, the ministry unexpectedly decided that Saudi women lawyers could argue cases in the court. This makes Amna, who completed her L.L.B in Pakistan, hopeful for the future. “I feel the system is not ready to take me in as yet, may be in a few years time when Saudi girls pave their way through, may be then opportunities would appear for expatriates as well. Right now I don’t know where to start,” she says.

According to the current rules and regulations, the trainee lawyer must work for another attorney who has been practicing law in Saudi Arabia for five years. The training period could last up to three years. Despite the restrictions and boredom, many Pakistani women find Saudi Arabia a safe place to live, especially when compared to the rife lawlessness of Pakistan. For many, it seems security is worth the price.

Author’s ID: waqas464@gmail.com Tweets @waqas464