Saudi Cab Drivers harmed by their own rights - Arab News

A Saudi woman once told me Saudization of taxis would never work because a Saudi woman would never ride in a taxi driven by a Saudi man. I asked, stupidly, then wouldn't that mean there'd be demand for taxis driven by Saudi women. In Saudi Arabia, of course, women cannot drive. Which is the reason the taxi business is so big -- and makes a tempting target for Saudization. At any rate, I was too embarrassed to follow up with why. Now I've found the answer (emphasis added):

But amid the hue and cry of the Saudi drivers who want the ministry to smooth out the bumps in the road, for some reason, many of the customers prefer the foreign drivers.

"Most of the time, we dress in foreign clothes just to look like foreigners in order to get customers," said Al-Sulaimi.

Apparently, many women are pleased that the ministry slowed down the pace of Saudization in this field. "I make it a point not to get into a taxi if the driver is Saudi because I don't trust them," said Zahra Ahmadi. "Three years is not long enough to change mentalities that have been around for ages. I depend on taxis. So what is this? More obstacles to keep us home?"

More:

Umm Fahd, a mother of three, said there was a time when she could trust a driver because he was Saudi. He knew the boundaries of decency and knew that if he made a wrong a move, his family or tribe would hear about it. “That was a different generation,” she said. “The younger generation of men does not know a thing. I say this as one who has run into bad situations with Saudi taxi drivers — I’m no flirty tart of a woman giggling in the back seat.”

Some said Saudi taxi drivers are more prone to propositioning their female customers, playing romantic music and acting 'cute.' "I avoid using taxis with Saudi drivers,” said Ola Nasser. “That’s because of the ogling they do in the mirror. They think you are loose and out there for the taking just because you are taking a taxi.”

As to the reason for my headline?

Several women said that one of the reasons they preferred non-Saudi limo-drivers is that if and when there was a customer complaint there was more chance for justice taking place against a foreign driver than against a Saudi driver.

One for more the "rights can make you worse off" files. Earlier installments can be found here and here - each of these are cases of businesses refusing to rent durables to nationals because they fear they will have no legal recourse if there is damage.

Note, the behavior of a few leads to a stereotype of all, and reinforces the self-selection of bad men into the taxi business.

Last thought. When there is a customer complaint against them, do the Saudi drivers dressed "to look like foreigners in order to get customers" get treated like foreigners or like Saudis?