[BigV]

Change is happening everywhere, even Saudi Arabia.

Women have made strides in Saudi Arabia during the last 10 years, in employment, at universities, and even in politics. But they still cannot drive, and continue to face severe social restrictions, as Barbara Plett Usher in Riyadh finds.

Safe behind the gates of a large beautiful villa, women take off their black robes and don the latest in trendy exercise outfits.

They have to be discreet. Women's fitness programmes are relatively new in Saudi Arabia and they do not want to attract censor from religious authorities who promote the state's austere version of Islam.

"Girls have not had any exposure to any type of movement at a young age so whenever they come into the gym it's like… teaching a baby how to walk," says the instructor, a European expatriate.

Like most of those interviewed she did not want to be identified because of a potential backlash from religious conservatives.

The health club starts off new members slowly, but it also pushes the boundaries by offering extreme fitness training known as Crossfit - a combination of weight-lifting, gymnastics and cardio workout.

To a soundtrack of girl-power music the women lift barbells and jump onto 18-inch boxes, cheering each other on.

and driving? That's a no-no.

In an upscale restaurant, a group of young professional men and women network over coffee and fizzy fruit drinks, quietly defying the kingdom's strict gender segregation.

"It's sort of like meeting up in a bar in a normal country, just without the alcohol," observed one woman.
Women are banned from driving in Saudi Arabia, although some have showed defiance

But none of the female lawyers and investment bankers present could drive themselves home. Saudi Arabia is still the only country in the world where women are prohibited from getting behind the wheel.

A campaign against the ban petered out because of a government crackdown and lack of public support. And two women who tried to protest were recently detained on terrorism charges.