US presidential daughter Ivanka Trump has congratulated Saudi Arabian women after King Salman issued an order allowing them to get behind the wheel.
“Today was a historic day for women in Saudi Arabia as a decree was announced to lift the ban on women drivers. #SaudiArabia,” Ivanka, who has 4.62 million followers, posted on Twitter.
King Salman’s decree orders the formation of a ministerial body to advise on the practicalities of the edict within 30 days and to ensure the full implementation of the order by June 2018.
The prohibition, long-considered as a social issue in the Kingdom, has been the center of extensive debate in government, media and social circles.
“This important step in the right direction! #SaudiArabia,” Ivanka tweeted.
Ivanka describes herself as an “advocate for the education & empowerment of women & girls” in her Twitter account.
UN-Secretary General Antonio Guterres, on his official Twitter account, also chimed in, and described the Kingdom’s decision to allow women as an “important step in the right direction.”