Eman Ahmed of Egypt, believed to have been the world's heaviest woman, is carried to an ambulance at Saifee Hospital, to leave for the airport in Mumbai, May 4, 2017. Eman Ahmed, now weighing 172 kg, down from an estimated 500 kg, is being shifted to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for further treatment. (Xinhua/Stringer)
RIYADH, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ordered on Thursday concerned government authorities to allow women to apply for services without the approval of their guardians, Sabq online news reported.
The current procedures to get various government services include providing written approval by the women's guardians to process their applications. The guardians could be the fathers, brothers, husbands, sons or any other male relatives.
Public organizations were requested to list services that women could apply to evaluate if they could be included in the order in accordance with Islamic regulations within the next three months. The move could save women troubles, especially those without guardians.
The order also demanded organizations to provide appropriate transportation services for their female employees, which could reduce the cases of traffic accidents that caused the death of women employees, mainly teachers after they hired reckless drivers to transport them to their workplaces.
Saudi Arabia doesn't allow women to drive and this has been a hinder for many of them to get jobs or lead independent lifestyles.
