Saudi Arabia has begun allowing adult women to travel without permission and to exercise more control over family matters, Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday, following a flurry of royal decrees issued in the beginning of this month.

The regulatory changes stipulated that a Saudi passport should be issued to any citizen who applies for it and that any person above the age of 21 does not need permission to travel.

They also granted women for the first time the right to register child birth, marriage or divorce and to be issued official family documents and be eligible as a guardian to children who are minors.

"The passports and civil status departments and their branches in all regions of the Kingdom have started to implement the amendments stipulated in the royal decree," the SPA report said, citing an interior ministry source.

The source stated that those who have any queries about the matter can contact with the competent authorities at the Directorate General of Passports (Jawazat) and the Ministry of Interior Agency for Civil Status through their twitter accounts dedicated to it on the following links (https://twitter.com/AljawazatKSA) and (https://twitter.com/AhwalCare) or telephone number of Jawazat (992) and Civil Status Department (920022133).

SOURCE : SAUDIGAZETTE