Riyadh: A total of 14,000 Saudi women have so far obtained passports without the prior consent of their legal guardians.
According to the General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) 9,000 secured their passports through the electronic portal (Absher) while 5,000 others submitted their applications in various cities across the country.
The Ministry of Interior, represented by Jawazat, has started issuing and renewing passports for Saudi women aged 21 and above via Absher electronic service since August 2019.
The new legal reforms have also granted women, for the first time, the right to register childbirth, marriage or divorce and get official family documents. They have also become legally eligible to act as guardians of children who are minors, Saudi Gazette reported.