“Women don’t need a male guardian to apply,” said Latifa Al-Ghamdi, an official of the women’s section of the Civil Affairs Department in Dammam.

Women will still require permission from their male guardians to travel abroad.

The new high-tech cards will include GPS tracking, fingerprints and features that will make them difficult to forge.

The card, which is optional, has been touted as an additional step toward women’s empowerment in Saudi Arabia.

“This step will add some self-esteem to Saudi women that will help them ease their movement in the region, especially for businesswomen who travel a lot,” said Lama Al-Sulaiman, deputy chairwoman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

— With input from Galal Fakkar