Saudi Arabia now allows single women to stay in hotels without male guardians
Saudi Arabia now allows single women to stay in hotels without male guardians
Saudi Arabia has reportedly scrapped laws barring women form booking hotel rooms without a guardian as the ultra-conservative kingdom prepares to welcome foreign tourists.
2 min read
Women can now enter hotel rooms alone in Saudi Arabia [Getty]
Saudi Arabia will allow women to check into hotel rooms without a male guardian, the General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage has announced.
Local Saudi media reported the vice chairman of the General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage, Hamad bin Mohammed al-Ismail, changed the criteria for women checking into a hotel.
Women are no longer obliged to have a male guardian when checking into their hotel rooms and are required to have changed, al-Ismail added.
Saudi women would have to present their family register when checking in as proof of identity, whereas non-Saudi women only need to present their passport as their evidence.
Last month, Riyadh announced it will be offering tourist visas for the first time, opening up the ultra-conservative kingdom to holidaymakers as part of a push to diversify its economy away from oil.
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