The station had turned away the woman asking her to file her complaint through the local social affairs department, sources close to the Jeddah police said on Thursday.

The sources, who did not want to be identified, said the director also ordered the police station to bring the woman's ex-husband in for questioning and to hand her children, whom he had allegedly kidnapped, over to her. The couple has five children, four boys and a girl.

According to the sources, when the police station refused to listen to the woman’s complaint, she took her case to the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), which then contacted Al-Ghamdi.

They added that the woman, who was living with her parents after the divorce, used to take her children to school in a taxi.

They said one day she went inside the school building to collect her daughter and the ex-husband kidnapped three of the other young children who were in the taxi. He then went to his remaining son’s school and took him also.

The NSHR told Arab News that there was a drive by civil society organizations to support divorcees, whether Saudis or foreigners, and to speedily resolve their problems.

“Divorced women should claim their rights from their ex-husbands, including dowries, without delay,” a statement from the society said.

It called for a system that would reduce the agony of divorced women and their children.

“Islam has made it obligatory on decision makers to ensure the rights of women and children,” the society said.