Loujain Al Hathloul made global headlines when she was
arrested for driving in Saudi Arabia, defying the kingdom’s informal ban. The
women’s rights activist and social media figure was again detained on December
1 last year, when she attempted to drive from the UAE to Saudi Arabia to
highlight the discrepancy in the kingdom’s ban compared to other Gulf states
that allow women to drive. Arrested on the Saudi side of the border, she was
held for 73 days
In an interview with The Telegraph, Al Hathloul revealed
that her father, who supports the campaign, was in the passenger seat at the
time. She credits her freedom to her liberal father.
Al Hathloul was also among the first women to run for local
council in Saudi Arabia’s historic elections in December, last year. But she
said she was not interested in competing or winning. “I’m focused on increasing
the number of women who stand in elections,” she told the British daily.
The activist is married to Fahad Albutairi, a renowned
YouTube personality and Saudi’s first stand-up comedian to perform
professionally.
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