New forms are being distributed to licensed marriage officials across the Kingdom that will ask for the date of birth of the bride.

The new rule comes at a time when the Kingdom is considering establishing a minimum age of marriage follow a series of highly publicized incidences where old men have married young girls.

The National Society of Human Rights (NSHR) described this as a positive gesture toward establishing a minimum age for marriage of young women.  NSHR head Mufleh Al-Qahtani said the issue of marriage of young girls has become a matter of serious concern on the part of several agencies. Some of these marriages have ended up in courts.

“We are desirous of having found enacted a new law specifying a certain minimum age for marriage. This would help remove misgivings about the Kingdom's position vis-à-vis child marriage. It would also be a clear signal for licensed marriage officials, parents of young women and all others concerned with regard to regulations that are to be complied with while undertaking new marriage contracts,” he said.

While criticizing the occurrence of marriage of minors in the Kingdom, the NSHR has considered it a violation of childhood.

The nongovernmental rights body has sought to work with authorities to curb the practice and protect children's rights. Saudi human rights activists have sought to have a law banning the practice of child marriage and setting a minimum age of 18.