JEDDAH, 13 April 2005 — A new regulation for issuing women’s ID cards was approved yesterday and will be publicized soon. Civil status departments in the Kingdom can now issue ID cards for women without a male guardian’s consent, according to a general regulation approved by the Civil Status Department recently.
The new regulation states that a woman with a valid ID card can verify the identity of another woman in order for that woman to get her ID card.
“The two women, who do not have to be related, can come in to the Civil Status Department and the one with the valid ID can identify the other and sign for her. That will suffice and we can immediately process the other woman’s ID,” said a source at the Civil Status Department in Jeddah. “The woman applying for the ID needs only to bring her family ID card and does not need to bring any signed paper from her male guardian giving his consent,” added the source.
“This is definitely a good step because it will ease the process for many women especially widows and other single women with no male guardian,” lawyer Mais Abu Dalbouh to Arab News. “It is convenient for all women and will encourage more to apply for their ID and will help in legal proceedings because now women can prove their identity and legal rights more efficiently,” she added.
Last month Arab News reported quoting Asharq Alawsat, a sister publication, that the new process for issuing women’s IDs has been implemented in Riyadh where a Saudi woman who has a valid passport can apply and obtain her ID card without needing a male guardian. Only women not owning passports need a male guardian to verify their identity, the report said.
However, an official told Arab News a different story.
“A Saudi woman’s passport without the approval of a male guardian would only suffice in the case when she doesn’t have any male guardian,” said Turki Mohammad Al-Malafekh, the director general of Jeddah Civil Status Department. “Other than that a male guardian must come in person and apply, provide approval and verify her identity by signing on the back of her photograph,” he added.
“Consent by the guardian is still required for a woman to have a passport,” said the director of public affairs at the Passport Department.
