“A passport will be granted to any Saudi national who submits an application,”. Women in the kingdom have long required permission from their male “guardians” — husband, father and other male relatives — to marry, renew their passports or exit the country.Women’s rights activists have campaigned for decades against the guardianship system, which renders women as legal minors for their entire lives.

The decision comes amid a wide-ranging liberalisation drive spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — the kingdom’s de facto ruler — that is aimed at transforming the conservative petro-state, long criticised for its treatment of women.

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