Saudi Arabia drops need for guardian consent for women to receive services

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has issued a royal decree which frees women from obtaining their guardians consent in order to receive services “unless there is a legal basis for this request in accordance with the provisions of the Islamic Sharia.”

“This came in a royal directive to all concerned government agencies, after approval of proposals raised by the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers to resolve issues related to human rights,” a royal decree issued by the king has said.

The Saudi Human Rights Commission said the directive called on all concerned authorities to review their procedures that are currently in force concerning women’s applications to receive services.

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It also demanded to list all procedures that require the approval of the woman’s male guardian to complete a service and to provide an explanation of their statutory basis for the service within three months of the order’s issuance date.

Saudi women face regular difficulties in conducting various transactions without a male relative, such as renting an apartment or filing lawsuits.