women behind the wheels would be "exposed to evil", if permitted driving, says Saudi Grand Mufti

 RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's top cleric Sheikh Abdullah al-Sheikh has justified a ban on driving for females, saying women behind the wheels would be "exposed to evil".

Although driving is not technically illegal for women in Saudi Arabia, it is the only country in the world that prohibits women from doing so by not issuing licenses.

The cleric told a religious TV channel Almajd that men with "weak spirits" and who are "obsessed with women" could cause female drivers harm, and women driving alone would also leave families unaware of their whereabouts.

The cleric caused controversy earlier this year when he issued a fatwa, or religious ruling, against playing chess on television, saying the game was “included under gambling” and was “a waste of time and money and a cause for hatred and enmity between players”.