Lina Al-Attiyah

Saudi Arabian activist who championed women's right to drive and reshaped gender policies in Saudi Arabia

Lina Al-Attiyah is a pioneering Saudi Arabian activist whose courageous advocacy played a critical role in ending the ban on women driving in 2018. As a founder of the 'Women2Drive' campaign, she organized daring public challenges that drew global attention to gender inequality in her country. Her strategic use of social media and international partnerships pressured the government to implement sweeping reforms including granting women access to driver's licenses and expanding employment opportunities.

Al-Attiyah's work intersects with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 reforms, though she maintains independent advocacy through her role at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). She has also been instrumental in creating policies for women's participation in the public sector, establishing childcare facilities, and reforming guardianship laws. Her TEDx talk "The Power of One" highlights her belief in incremental change through collective action.

Her efforts have been chronicled in the documentary "Saudi Women: Breaking Barriers" and she's frequently featured in BBC reports about Saudi modernization. Al-Attiyah continues to advocate for systemic change through her position as director of the Saudi Gender Equality Program, leveraging her unique access to influence policy while maintaining grassroots connections through digital platforms.