TAREEF: People in the northern cities of Tareef, Rafha, Al-Qurayat and Tabarjeel have urged the Civil Status Directorate to open women's branches, as they travel up to 100 km to get their ID cards in the northern Directorate in Arar and the Jouf Governorate.

Since ID cards have become mandatory to carry out official businesses and social security activities, this has therefore become all the important for the women to have such facilities in their regions.

If the Status Directorate has any difficulty in opening such branches, it can launch mobile units to meet the local requirement, as a temporary measure, said former head of Municipal Council, Yahia Al-Salbani.

Al-Salbani stressed the necessity of such demands, as female citizens are facing hardships in getting their identity cards.

Commenting on the demands, Head of the Civil Status Directorate in the Northern Borders, Ibrahim Al-Rabeeshto, told Alwatan newspaper to refer it to the Directorate's spokesman.

The Civil Status Directorate in Tareef is 500 km from Arar. There is a women's division that was rented and equipped two years ago, but it has not been activated because the computers are still not connected with the system.

"It is bureaucracy in its worst form ... we want our rights, and officials must submit to this demand," said Tareefi Al-Inizi.