Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Fifty Saudi women were granted the right to travel without the need of a mahram (a relative who is male guardian). Tarahum Committee member and Takamul Initiative for Legal Consultancy lawyer Nisreen Al-Ghamdi said 50 Saudi women have been granted the right to travel without a mahram, five of them are wives of non-Saudis and they were able to travel with their children. "Jeddah Family Civil Status courts received more than 100 cases of women and minors demanding travel permission after their guardian had passed away. Women wish to travel for tourism, study or medical treatment," said Al-Ghamdi. She also said the law grants Saudi women, whose guardian had passed away, the right to travel if they can prove that the deceased was indeed their guardian. "The court only requires two witnesses and the reason for travel in order to grant the woman the right to travel. Jeddah courts have dealt with more than 9,000 cases, 1,977 of the cases were cases of divorce, 1,280 of the cases were cases of alimony, 1,211 of the cases were cases of custody, 619 of the cases were cases of disobedience of the wife, 597 cases of children visits, and 333 cases of khulu (divorce by the wife's request)," said Al-Ghamdi. She added 181 of the cases were cases of sadaq (bride wealth), 163 cases of marital documents request, 134 cases of marital feuds over property, 105 cases of adhl (when the guardian prohibits the woman from getting married) and five cases of proof or disproof of kinship through DNA testing.
