The historical milestone of lifting the ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia is set to transform the auto market.
The online survey conducted by YouGov Omnibus found that close to a quarter (24%) of women have already applied for a driving license since the country started issuing licenses to female motorists in June 2018. Although the majority have not applied yet, 61% of those say they intend to apply for a driving license in the future.
Fear of driving and overall safety appear to be the top barriers for women who do not intend to take up the opportunity to apply for a license.
Over three-quarters of women who intend to drive (78%) plan to buy a car. A majority (84%) say the decision of which car to buy rests in their hands. 3 in 5 women pointed out back cameras and reverse sensing systems are the most desired features in a car.
The daily brand perception tracker, YouGov BrandIndex data reveals Toyota is the top car brand for women in Saudi Arabia with an Index score of 27.1, followed by Mercedes (26.7) and Lexus (24.2).
This piece offers valuable insight for car brands, focusing on driving growth to a new audience of female purchasers and will help align their marketing campaign to their specific needs.