By Hussein Hazzazi

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — The Ministry of Interior, represented by the Directorate General of Passports (Jawazat), has started issuing and renewing passports for Saudi women aged 21 and above via the Absher online portal. This is in implementation of the amendments recently approved by the Council of Ministers in the Civil Status and Travel Documents Regulations with regard to allowing adult Saudi women to travel without permission of their male guardian.

An informed source at Jawazat told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that the launch of services for issuance and renewal of passports of Saudi women, in addition to the rest of the services, has been made through Absher system. The source pointed out that the launching of the service through Absher will be announced formally only after the official launch of the service in the near future.

The Jawazat has confirmed a few days ago that the service of issuing or renewing the passport for citizens who are 21 years of age and above will be made available through the Absher soon. Those citizens who want to issue or renew passport can contact the Department of Passports after securing an appointment for availing of the service, the Jawazat statement said.

The Ministry of Interior recently announced that the Jawazat and Civil Status departments and their branches in all regions of the Kingdom have started implementing the amendments made in the regulations. 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 get issued official family documents and eligible to be a guardian of minor children.