(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Saudi women can now get national ID cards that can be used to travel to countries of the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) according to a report published on Saturday.
"Women don't need a male guardian to apply," said Latifa Al Ghamdi, an official of the women's section of the Civil Affairs Department in Dammam.
According to the Arab News daily, women don't need a male guardian to apply.
However, despite the new offer from the Kingdom's Department of Civil Affairs, women will still require permission from their male guardians to travel abroad.
The new high-tech cards will include GPS tracking, fingerprints and features that will make them difficult to forge.
"This step will add some self-esteem to Saudi women that will help them ease their movement in the region, especially for businesswomen who travel a lot," Lama Al Sulaiman, deputy chairwoman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told the Saudi daily.
The ID card, which is optional, has been seen as another step toward women's empowerment in the Saudi Kingdom.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.