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Kuwait: A key Saudi royal put a damper on hopes that Saudi women might soon be allowed to drive in the Islamic state, but said in an interview published on Tuesday that they could gain some voting rights.
The right of women to drive has been a key demand of reformers in Saudi Arabia, and has been backed by some government ministers.
But Interior Minister Prince Nayef's support would be key to any reform.
"It is regrettable that this has become an issue, since it doesn't deserve to be. I am surprised it has been brought up," Prince Nayef told Kuwait's Al Anbaa newspaper.
"Women have the right to own a car or anything else. But driving a car in our desert regions, where distances are large between one district and another, would expose women's lives to danger, and this we cannot accept," he said.
Powerful religious scholars fear driving would encourage women to mix with men outside their family. The ban is enforced in cities and on main roads, where women rely on non-Saudi chauffeurs, but reports say it is sometimes flouted.
"We need to secure more important rights for Saudi women, such as the right to vote ... We will look into the possibility of women participating in next municipal elections," Prince Nayef said.
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