Saudi Arabia lifts travel restrictions on women

A Saudi woman drives her car.
(Image credit: AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

Women in Saudi Arabia will now be able to apply for passports and travel abroad without permission from male guardians, the Saudi government announced early Friday.

Under the new law, any citizen 21 or older can apply for a passport and travel outside of the country without prior consent. Previously, a woman had to receive approval from their husband, father, son, or other male relative to obtain a passport or travel outside of the kingdom. Women can also now register marriages, divorces, and births, and receive official family documents.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.