Saudi Women Take the Wheel as Driving Ban Lifted

Lifting of ban is the most visible sign of social change in a country where Islamic conservatism and tribal traditions have long dominated

Margherita Stancati and

Donna Abdulaziz

Updated June 23, 2018 7:45 p.m. ET

BURAIDAH, Saudi Arabia—At the stroke of midnight Sunday, Saudi women drove legally in their own country for the first time, a historic moment that was met with a mix of joy and disbelief but also consternation over the jailing of activists who had campaigned for just such a right.

As soon as the driving ban officially lifted, women from Riyadh to Jeddah to the kingdom’s more conservative corners slid into driver’s seats to celebrate the end to a policy that prohibited women from obtaining a driver’s license. The change removed...