Saudi Arabia will allow women to drive for the first time, according to a royal decree.

State media said Tuesday the king's decree called for the “issuance of driving licenses for men and women alike."

Prince Khaled bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Washington and the king's son, said letting women drive is a "huge step forward,'' one for which "society is ready.''

"This is the right time to do the right thing,'' he told reporters in the U.S.

Neither Islamic law nor Saudi traffic law explicitly prohibited women from driving in the past, but they were not issued licenses and were detained if they attempted to drive.

The state news agency SPA reported the order will go into effect by June 2018.

Amnesty International said the decree was a "testament to the bravery of women activists who have been campaigning for years [and] the government of Saudi Arabia has finally relented."

U.S. President Donald Trump commended Saudi Arabia for the decision and said the United States will support Saudi efforts to strengthen its society and economy.

"This is a positive step toward promoting the rights and opportunities of women in Saudi Arabia," said a statement from his press secretary.

In celebration of the announcement, several Saudi women posted images on social media showing them deleting ride-sharing apps from their mobile phones.

沙特阿拉伯颁布皇家法令，首次允许女性开车。

沙特官方媒体星期二说，国王的法令要求，“不论男女，都要发放驾照。”

沙特驻华盛顿大使哈立德王子说，允许女性开车“是前进的一大步”，“沙特社会已经为此做好了准备。”

他在美国告诉记者说：“这是在正确的时间做了正确的事情。”

不论是伊斯兰律法还是沙特交通法规都不曾明令禁止女性开车，但是沙特以前是不向女性发放驾驶执照的，被发现开车的女性，会遭到拘留。

沙特通讯社说，这项法令2018年6月开始生效。

国际特赦组织说：这项法令“是多年来女权活动人士勇敢的见证，沙特政府终于让步了。”

美国总统川普对沙特的决定表示赞扬，并表示，美国会支持沙特继续健全社会和经济。川普的资讯秘书发表声明说：“这是推动沙特女性享有的权利和机会的积极进展。”

为庆祝法令的颁布，一些沙特女性在社交媒体上发图片，显示她们正在删除手机上拼车的应用。

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