Saudi Arabia allows women to drive, but there's a $90-bn reason behind it

The oil-rich kingdom will allow women to drive from Sunday, ending its status as the only country in the world to ban half the population from getting behind the wheel

Allowing Saudi women to drive could help the kingdom reap as much income as selling shares in Saudi Aramco.

The move, which went into effect on Sunday, could add as much as $90 billion to economic output by 2030, with the benefits extending beyond that date, according to Bloomberg Economics. Selling as much as 5 per cent stake in Saudi Arabian Oil Co. -- at the most optimistic valuation -- could generate about $100 billion.

Saudi Arabia ended its status as the last country on earth to prohibit women from taking to the wheel. Some women drove through the still-packed