From a £20billion divorce to steering change in Saudi Arabia - PHOTO+VIDEO

As a princess with a wonderfully privileged life, she is accustomed to being driven from palace to penthouse in chauffeur-driven limousines. She used one as a guest of honour at the Westminster Abbey marriage of Prince William and the then Kate Middleton in 2011, and regularly socialised with Prince Charles.But now a divorcee, Ameerah, 31, said in an interview that she is currently just as comfortable in her own modest £15,000 Mini Cooper which she drives when she is in Europe and America. Women in her desert kingdom cannot enjoy that simple pleasure and she is determined to see them similarly empowered.She told MailOnline at the 5th Abu Dhabi Media Summit in the United Arab Emirates last week: 'It is my job and duty to use my power and influence to highlight these kind of issues and to try to find solutions. I am offered platforms to speak around the world, and I must use them to try to change things.'Women have been barred from driving in Saudi Arabia since the establishment of the state in 1932 and earlier this year, a woman reportedly received 150 lashes after being caught behind the wheel.But Ameerah is confident that – with a little bit more pressure – the government will lift the ban shortly.She said: 'It will be a hugely important step, and it can happen overnight'.Protests and acts of defiance against the ban have grown in recent years, with women posting videos of them behind the wheel to social media. The latest campaign day was held on October 26.The World Economic Forum’s annual report on gender rights regularly portrays Saudi Arabia as one of the worst countries for women. And the driving ban is a potent symbol of their inferior status.Every single Saudi woman has to have a 'male guardian', typically their husband or father or brother, who has the same legal power over her as a parent has over a child. She requires formal permission for almost all activities, including working, travelling, and sport, and depends on him financially and for housing.Ameerah said: 'I don't believe the ban will go on indefinitely. It will be like the decree calling for 20 per cent of Parliament to be made up of women – a surprising development, but one which happened very rapidly.'I believe that it is the generation of young people in Saudi Arabia which is going to accelerate change in the country.'Among those 'leading the way', said Ameerah, is Prince Turki bin Abdullah Al Saud, a young royal and Governor of the Riyadh Province who is also a Leeds University PhD candidate.Ameerah said Saudi women currently have to employ a driver, and that proves impossibly expensive for many. It can cost up to £340 a month.Of her own driving experiences, she said: 'We still can't officially drive in the cities and towns, but I have driven in the desert many times.''I have an international license and drive a Mini Cooper when I am in Europe and America. I find the GPS very helpful,' Ameerah added. 'I do not drive in London or anywhere in the UK, however, because driving on the left is quite confusing.'Ameerah said two wheels could be just as good as four too, adding: 'I ride bikes from time to time.'But even cycling in Saudi Arabia is a pursuit that is severely restricted for women - they can only do so in so-called 'recreational areas', while dressed in full Islamic body coverings and accompanied by their male guardian.An ultraconservative interpretation of Islam means women can only use their bikes 'for entertainment' too, rather than for work or other purposes.These are just the type of restrictions which the Saudi women calling for emancipation want to see lifted. There was good news last month when some of those taking part in a closed session of the Saudi King's advisory council apparently recommended women over 30, wearing no make-up, should be allowed to drive between 7am and 8pm.An official spokesman for the council denied any policies were agreed, but the claims at least provided encouragement.The kingdom is the only country in the world that forbids women from driving, but there has been a positive response to groups of female activists posting pictures and videos of them driving on social media.This is all part of a movement which has seen women ‘taking responsibility for their future’ using new technology, said Ameerah.Speaking to MailOnline about the remarkable transformation in her life, Ameerah said she was coping well from her split from Prince Alwaleed bin Talal - one of the richest men in the world.Raised in a middle-class home in Riyadh, Ameerah famously arranged a short interview with Prince Alwaleed as part of a school journalism project when she was just 18.Bakudaily.Az