Two generations of Spanish women on the AVE to Mecca in Saudi Arabia: "Five years ago a radical change began"

"Five years ago a

began in

."

is the

of the

, the high-speed train that connects

with the holy city of Islam.

An important position.

Next to her works

, a few decades younger.

"In Arabia there is

generation

, totally open, that little by little is seeing the light."

Pilar and Sabela give voice in this newspaper to part of the women's social movement that is taking place in a country that this week is hosting, once again, the

.

A minimal, very minimal, and timid, very timid evolution, but one that is becoming noticeable in

and

in Saudi territory.

An evolution that is both historic and that has changed some of the realities of citizenship, although Saudi Arabia maintains a

, it is the

country in the world in this classification and maintains the death penalty.

A forceful reality that continues to limit women at all levels of society.

"You have to understand everything from the perspective of starting from, let's say, the

," Cutanda warns.

"It is not the Spanish uncover, of course, for that there is a lot left," she adds.

The rise to power of Crown Prince

in 2016, the removal of some powers of the

and the much-vaunted

of his government have opened up some opportunities for Saudi women, although they still remain in a more than evident

with respect to men in labor, social and family matters.

"Before, in restaurants they were separated between

, I couldn't go with a friend to eat; I couldn't drive and I had to sit in the back seat of cars, I had to wear an abaya no matter what; in a gathering of work, they didn't shake my hand to greet me, they didn't talk to me,

was prohibited, there was no

... Now it has changed," says Cutanda, who had visited the country many times and moved five years ago.

"There has been a brutal explosion because the laws have been modified. This feminine demand is very subtle because they continue to be subjected in the religious part, but

in many aspects", she insists, who believes that she was "one of the first to drive a car in this country". "The car has been very important to them.

He has given them total freedom in that sense."

"Now I'm wearing braces. It seems silly, but it's important"

Recently, women are not required to wear an abaya or hijab, although they do have to dress "appropriately", they can go without a tutor and in a group to Mecca and the percentage of women who work outside the home has risen from 18 to 32% in the last five years, although "

money to the family economy", say the two Spaniards.

And to talk about evolution is to talk about young people.

"Before, I was aware of having an abaya nearby, now I don't. I walk around the center in suspenders, I show my arm... It seems silly, but here it is important," explains Fondo.

"Many young Saudi women want to be surrounded by more open people, even if they act in the same way out of respect, they say.

and others completely covered.

They ask a lot of questions."

- What is the leisure of young people?

- Sabela: There are no bars, only cafeterias or restaurants that sometimes look like nightclubs.

Before it was illegal to play music and now everyone has it, you see another environment.

But they don't dance, they move sitting down.

And then people make their own wine at home because alcohol is prohibited.

- The Soccer Super Cup is an example of how Saudi Arabia tries to 'open up' through this type of event as well.

Is it so?

- Pilar: These days, for example, the Dakar has been the event of the century here.

There has been the Cirque du Soleil, the Riad Season, a film festival... There are so few opportunities that people live them a lot.

It is a feeling of openness.

They want you to see that the country is opening up.

A reality that mixes the

of a part of the population with the

that continues to govern the country, and that for organizations such as Amnesty International still "

of expression and association, with harsh prison sentences imposed on human rights defenders.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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