String of social reform in Saudi Arabia continues; allows women to start business without male permission

Riyadh, February 19: Saudi Arabia adding one more surprising move to the list of latest social reforms has allowed women to open their own businesses without the consent of a husband or male relative. Notably, the easing of restrictions on starting a business comes under the kingdom’s reform drive to diversify the economy and allow women to play a more active role Saudi society.

 

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Commerce and Investment officially announced that women will no longer need their male guardian’s permission to start a business. Country's Ministry of Commerce and investment said on its website that women can now launch their own businesses and benefit from governmental e-services without having to prove consent from a guardian.

The spokesperson of the ministry, Abdul Rahman Al Hussein, tweeted the regulation change under an Arabic hashtag that translates to '#no_need'. "No need for a guardian’s permission. Saudi women are free to start their own business freely," he said.

From now onwards, under the new system, both men and women will be treated equally when it comes to setting up and starting a business. In addition, government agencies will no longer require the consent of a male guardian to complete procedures.

Interestingly, the announcement from Saudi government comes as a part of the Vision 2030 social and economic reform program in the Kingdom. In September 2017, Saudi Arabia announced it will allow women to drive, ending the long-standing policy that had been criticised by international campaigners and women’s groups.

In October 2017, Saudi Arabia announced that it will allow women to attend sporting events in stadiums starting 2018, an announcement that joins a series of groundbreaking reforms addressing the status of women in the kingdom. In December 2017, Saudi Arabia lifted the ban on commercial cinemas that has lasted more than three decades.