RIYADH (AP)--Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef reaffirmed that his government has no intention of allowing women to drive, the official Saudi Press Agency reported Thursday.

Saudi Arabia is the only Persian Gulf state that bans women from driving.

"It is not possible, and there are no studies on the subject at all," Prince Nayef said, referring to government inquiries on changes to the law.

At a news conference, Prince Nayef was noncommittal when asked about another goal of Saudi women: identity cards, which currently are reserved only for men.

"As I've said before, everything comes in its own time," Nayef said.

Saudi women must cover all but their hands, eyes and feet when in public. They cannot travel, pursue higher education or get a job without the written approval of a male guardian.

Women who wish to draw money from a bank must use "family IDs" - cards without a photograph that identify them as the dependents of their fathers or husbands. The practice sometimes leads to fraud.

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