Saudi Gazette report It is a common trend among Saudi men, both married and unmarried, to travel abroad with their male friends and until recently, married women were not able to do the same without coming under scrutiny by society. But as Saudi society has opened up, one noticeable change has been the trend among women to travel abroad with their female friends without their husbands accompanying them, Al-Riyadh daily reports. With society no longer looking down on a woman who travels alone with her female friends, Saudi women are able to feel and enjoy the same freedom their husbands enjoy when traveling with friends. Men who work, especially in demanding jobs, are more likely to allow their wives to enjoy their annual vacations with their female friends, a good step toward giving women more freedom of mobility. Citizen Mashaal Saad said women today have more self-confidence and most of them ask their families to allow them to travel with their female friends so they can enjoy their time together. In the past, this was not allowed except in rare cases where some families would allow their daughters to spend a night with their female friends at a chalet on the beach or at one of their friends' houses. “Some women can convince their husbands or families to let them go on vacation alone. I don't see any harm in that. What's wrong if a woman travels with her friends to have fun just like men do? But I doubt many families allow their daughters to do this as most of them get worried that their daughters may encounter problems abroad while they are alone without a man's company,” Saad said, noting that some families dismiss such actions as rebellious and unacceptable. Rehan Al-Saad also believes that women have the right, just like men, to travel with her female friends. She said travelling alone, whether for leisure or business, is completely acceptable if the woman is old enough to take care of herself. “Many women travel abroad alone for study without a male relative accompanying them. Some even go on business trips and to attend conferences and exhibitions. There's nothing wrong if a woman travels alone. I don't know why some people don't approve of it. Some women don't need a mahram or a male guardian to accompany them. They're old enough to take care of themselves. They can travel alone or with female friends,” Al-Saad said. Opposing views Ahlam, who did not want to give her last name, rejects the idea of a woman traveling alone with her female friends because it not only goes against social traditions and conventions but is also threat to her safety. “No matter how old a woman is or how legally competent she is, she needs a male guardian to accompany her when she travels abroad. He will protect her against any harm,” she said while adding that she is against husbands who give their wives the freedom to travel alone. Anwar Fahad strongly disagreed with Ahlam and suggested that people who oppose women travelling alone hold a double standard as they do not criticize men who do the same. “Women have reached the highest position in society and they are viewed with utmost respect. That is why some families have complete trust in their daughters and let them travel alone either for fun or to complete their education. Anyone who criticizes a woman traveling with her female friends should think again because times have changed. Why do those who are so eager to criticize not say anything about men who travel with their friends alone?” she asked. Dr. Jibreen Al-Jibreen, associate professor of sociology at King Saud University, said people should not blow things out of proportion when it comes to women's issues. “What's wrong if a woman travels by herself? This is her right as long as she is an adult and legally competent. What should be discussed here is whether this woman has a family and children. Some people might be against that but this scenario is a private issue for a married couple to sort out between themselves,” he said.
