Steering toward sustainability: the influence of women's driving rights on carbon dioxide emissions in Saudi Arabia

We analyze the impact on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from Saudi Arabia's June 2018 relaxation of the driving ban for women. Based on time series data of the main pollution drivers in Saudi Arabia from 1970 until 2021, the study employs multiple econometric techniques, comprising the autoregressive distributed lag cointegration (ARDL), the canonical cointegrating regression (CCR), the dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS), and the fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) techniques, to assess the effect of the lifting of the prohibition on women driving-besides other pollution determinants-on carbon dioxide emissions per person. Results were consistent in proving that the ban lift has not increased emissions in the short run. In the long run, emissions rose primarily from non-industrial and industrial activities. Long-term emissions were found to be unaffected by economic growth, even though short-term emissions increased. The paper hitherto absolves the new regulation from any negative environmental impact. Saudi Arabia should thus maintain the ban lift, and ignore calls for re-imposing the ban on sustainability grounds.