Eleven things women in Saudi Arabia cannot do

Ban on women entering a Starbucks store in Riyadh is latest in long line of restrictions

Saudi Arabia women
Women wearing the traditional abaya gown and hijab headscarf

Saudi women

(Image credit: Hassan Ammar/AFP/Getty Images)

Interact with men

Saudi women have a 'male guardian system' from birth.

This can involve requiring permission to work, study or access healthcare.

Employers have the right to fire women employees should their guardian decide against working outside of the home.

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Guardian's can also decide whether women can file a lawsuit against them.

Women are required to limit the amount of time spent with men they are not related to.

The majority of public buildings including offices, banks and universities have separate entrances for men and women, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Public transportation, parks, beaches and amusement parks are also segregated in most parts of the country.

Unlawful mixing will lead to criminal charges being brought against both parties, but women typically face harsher punishment.

A leading Saudi Cleric has also suggested interactions between men and women on social media should be forbidden too as it could lead to sin.

Sheikh Abdullah al-Mutlaq told a Saudi radio station that "the devil would be present when women talk to men."

Click to page 5 to discover other things women in the Muslim kingdom are still unable to do.