JEDDAH: Fatima Salem giggled with hesitation when it was her turn to drive through a small car park lined with bright orange cones and arrows. Like millions of Saudi women, she will apply for a driver鈥檚 license in June 鈥� but first she has to learn how to drive.
鈥淚鈥檓 a little nervous,鈥� the 30-year-old master鈥檚 student said.
Francesca Pardini, an Italian former racing driver, helped to  calm her nerves, reminding Salem to check the mirrors and buckle up. Once on the road, Pardini reached over to help straighten out the wheel after a left turn, and they both lurched forward when Salem stepped on the brakes before a stop sign.
Effat University in Jeddah organized the sessions for students to learn the basics of how to operate a car. For most of the young women, the hour-long training, sponsored by Ford Motor, is the first time they have sat in the driver鈥檚 seat. Universities across 黑料社区 are expected to offer women full driving courses once the rules and guidelines from the government are announced.
鈥淚 felt out of place. I鈥檝e never sat on that side of the car. Usually, I always sit in the back or on the right side, but it felt good. You feel, like, in control,鈥� said Sara Ghouth, 18. 鈥淚 want to drive a car. I want to be independent.鈥�
Car companies see the lifting of the ban on women driving in June as an opportunity to promote their brands and increase sales.
Ford鈥檚 Driving Skills for Life program, a one-time session that focuses on safety, has been taught around the world, and to male drivers in 黑料社区, but this is the first time the company has taught women-only groups.
鈥淲ith these girls, they鈥檙e like an empty book,鈥� Pardini, the Italian trainer with Ford, told The Associated Press. 鈥淭hey really want to learn.鈥�

Before the training began this week, Ford conducted surveys with women across 黑料社区 to better understand what they are looking for in a car and how to market their brand to the new drivers.
鈥淭he first thing we don鈥檛 want to do is be patronizing. This isn鈥檛 about lip gloss and nail polish and things like that. These are educated women,鈥� said Crystal Worthem, a marketing manager with Ford.
Worthem said Ford 鈥渁bsolutely鈥� expects a lift in sales as Saudi women start driving this summer. She says some women are already purchasing cars for when the ban is lifted, while others own the cars they are driven around in.
鈥淲omen have always been in our showrooms, but now women are actively shopping for themselves, which is exciting,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a car that they can drive and not a car that they鈥檒l be riding in.鈥�
Amal Al-Jihani, 23, an architecture student, said her biggest supporter encouraging her to drive is her father, who has promised to give her one of the family鈥檚 used cars when she鈥檚 ready for the road. Her 16-year-old brother already drives.
鈥淢y mom is refusing the idea of us driving. She says it鈥檚 dangerous and she鈥檒l let us drive when we鈥檙e married,鈥� Al-Jihani said, laughing. 鈥淢y dad tells her she鈥檒l relax when she sees everyone else driving.
Joanna Al-Fattani, 19, relies on services such as Uber to go most places. To get to and from college, she has two different drivers. She said a lot of women are nervous about the idea of driving alongside men on the roads, but she鈥檚 looking forward to the freedom.
鈥淚t鈥檚 such an important announcement. Everybody needed this. Now is the right time to do it,鈥� she said.
The President of Effat University, Dr. Haifa Jamal Al-Lail, said women driving would offer them more opportunities to join the workforce. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not a simple societal change,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 time to take the wheel and drive to our heart鈥檚 content.
鈥淓ffat University always leads things and gives women opportunities that have never been offered to them before. This initiative is one of those opportunities, we鈥檙e offering it gradually.
鈥淲e鈥檙e making sure that the students, staff, and faculty learn the basics before going into real driving.鈥�