History: Saudi Arabia will allow women to travel abroad without the permission of a man

The Riyadh government announced Thursday that Saudi women will be able to obtain a pbadport and travel abroad without the permission of a "guardian", until then mandatory.

The new standard will be applied to women from the age of 21, reported the Okaz newspaper, close to the government,

"A pbadport will be issued to all Saudi nationals who request it," the government newspaper Umm Al Qura reported.

Until now, the kingdom forced them to get permission from their male "guardians" – husband, father or other male parents – to get married, renew their pbadports or leave the country.

Historical reforms

Arab militants have been campaigning against this system for decades, making legal women legal all their lives.

The decision comes amidst a liberalization context promoted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman – the kingdom's de facto ruler – to transform the conservative state, much criticized for its treatment of women.

Among the reforms that he has promoted, there is the decision to eliminate the ban on driving vehicles, to allow them to attend football matches with men and to occupy jobs that did not generally correspond to the narrow margin of traditional gender roles.

However, critics believe that it is only superficial reforms as long as the kingdom maintains the system of "guardians", which gives men arbitrary authority over their female parents.