Saudi Arabia will allow women to obtain passports and travel abroad without approval from a male "guardian", the government said on Thursday, ending a longstanding restriction that drew heavy international criticism.
"A passport will be granted to any Saudi national who submits an application," a government ruling published in the official gazette Umm Al Qura said.
The regulation will be applicable to women over the age of 21, the pro-government Okaz newspaper and other local media reported, citing senior authorities.
Women's rights activists have campaigned for decades against the guardianship system, which renders women as legal minors for their entire lives.
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