Saudi women can now travel without male guardian's approval

Saudi Arabia will allow women to obtain passports and travel abroad without approval from a male "guardian", the government said yesterday, ending a longstanding restriction.

A passport will be granted to any Saudi national who submits an application, said a government ruling published in the official gazette Umm Al Qura. The regulation will be



applicable to women over the age of 21, the local media reported, citing senior authorities.

Women's rights activists have campaigned for decades against the guardianship system. The decision comes amid a wide-ranging liberalisation drive spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.