JET SET

Report: Saudi Arabia to Allow Women to Travel Without Male Guardian’s Permission

The country will reportedly announce the change on Friday.

Saudi Arabia approved a new law that will allow women to travel abroad without the permission of a male guardian, The Wall Street Journal reports. The new law, which will be announced Friday, allows women over the age of 21 to get passports and leave the country without having to get the consent of a male guardian. Changes to labor law and civil-status law will also be announced in tandem with the new travel law, all of  which will likely come into effect in late October, according to the Journal. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman recently lifted a ban on females driving in the country, but reportedly stated in the past that guardianship laws—a deep tradition in Saudi Arabia—should be left to the Islamic scholars for further study. Even with the changes, Saudi women will still have to get a guardian’s permission to marry, leave prison, or leave an abuse shelter.