RIYADH — The Ministry of Justice is seeking to recruit women notaries with the aim of facilitating judicial services for women and expanding their role in the Kingdom's governmental sector, Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported, citing informed sources.

The sources revealed that Justice Minister Waleed Mohammed Al-Samaani, who is the chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council, ordered the ministry to begin the necessary steps to launch women's notary departments in a number of cities across the country.

The Ministry of Justice has also begun the recruitment of women as legal advisers, researchers, and legislators for the first time, and it aims to develop a women's public administration as part of the ministry's new structure.

Statistics issued by the ministry showed that 70 women were licensed in the past to carry out the authentication work. It said 155 legal licenses were issued for women last year, in addition to the employment of 240 Saudi women in different areas, including legal, technical and social.

In 2018, Saudi women began obtaining notarization licenses to work in private notary departments at the Ministry of Justice.

According to the ministry, private notaries can issue and cancel powers of attorney (PoAs), and notarize corporate charters and property conveyances. Their private offices work in the mornings and evenings, seven days a week, using an integrated digital system.

Licensed private notaries totaled more than 13,000 in 2018, and the ministry announced its plans to continue granting licenses while observing the quality of services provided. — Al-Arabiya English