WIDER IMAGE-Cycling in Jeddah: Saudi women embrace change
By Sarah Dadouch
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, April 9 (Reuters) - When Amirah al-Turkistani left Boston in 2015 after 収入 a 卒業生（する） degree, friends mocked her 決定／判定勝ち（する） to ship her beloved pistachio-coloured bicycle 支援する home to Saudi Arabia.
"They told me, 'What will you do with it in Jeddah, hang it on the 塀で囲む?'" she laughed, referring to her hometown on the Red Sea coast.
Riding in public was 考えられない at the time in the 深く，強烈に 保守的な イスラム教徒 kingdom, where 宗教的な police patrolled public spaces to 施行する modest dress, 禁止（する）s on music and alcohol, 祈り-time 蓄える／店 終結s and the mixing of 関係のない men and women.
急速な／放蕩な 今後 three years and Amirah is riding 定期的に on the seaside corniche, alone or with her husband and children.
On the bike, the 30-year-old wears an abaya, the loose-fitting, 十分な-length 式服 象徴的な of 宗教的な 約束 and still 要求するd public dress for Saudi women.
But instead of 伝統的な 黒人／ボイコット, she chooses from a 範囲 of pastels she designed herself, trimmed with lace and 冒険的な patches of 有望な colours.
"Jeddah today isn't the same as Jeddah five, six years ago," she said. "The scrutiny on 着せる／賦与するs (has 緩和するd), there's more places to go, working 適切な時期s for women are the same as for men."
Saudi Arabia, which for １０年間s seemed irreparably stuck in the past, is now changing by the day.
Under a 改革（する） programme 目的（とする）d at modernising the kingdom and transforming its economy away from oil, 32-year-old 栄冠を与える Prince Mohammed 貯蔵所 Salman has 緩和するd social 制限s, clipping the wings of the 宗教的な police, sponsoring public concerts and ending a nearly 40-year 禁止（する） on 商業の cinemas.
The 政府 has also 発表するd 計画（する）s to 許す women to 運動 cars starting this summer, and Amirah is raring to 攻撃する，衝突する the road.
"It's not like I want to 運動 just because I want to 運動," she said. "It's a need."
The mother of two has a 十分な-time j ob teaching graphic design at Jeddah International College and freelances on the 味方する. Selling her homemade abayas brings her fulfilment and a little extra income.
Fluent in English, Arabic and Turkish and trained in ballet, Amirah is part of a young 世代 of Saudi women 掴むing new 適切な時期s in spite of a guardianship system that still 要求するs women to have a male 親族's 是認 for 確かな 重要な 決定／判定勝ち（する）s like travelling abroad.
In her spare time, she does yoga and trains at a Crossfit studio.
Yet she realises that not all women in this country of 32 million have the same 適切な時期s. 部族の customs, domineering male 親族s and ぐずぐず残る 宗教的な 保守主義 keep many Saudi women from 接近ing basic 権利s.
"She can be (modern) but her family isn't. She can be like this but her husband doesn't 許す it," said Amirah, who believes some people still …に反対する the new 改革（する）s.
"There's a change, that's true, but I'm talking about something very miniscule," she said. "I don't know about other places, other cities. I'm just talking about Jeddah."
See 関係のある photo essay at: https://reut.rs/2qgn0Pe (令状ing by Sarah Dadouch Editing by Stephen Kalin)
