Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, 9 October, said that women in the kingdom will be allowed to serve in the armed forces, reported Al Jazeera.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia took to Twitter and said "Another step to empowerment.” The tweet also mentioned that the Saudi women will be allowed to serve as first soldier, corporal, deputy sergeant and sergeant.
In the past two years, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman has passed a series of reforms to increase women’s right in the kingdom.
On 24 June 2018, Saudi Arabia lifted its blanket ban on women drivers. Women were also allowed to apply for a passport and travel freely, ending a long-standing guardianship policy that gave men control over women, AP reported.
According to Reuters, Saudi Arabia has allowed foreign men and women to rent rooms in hotel. They do not need to prove that they are related.
In an attempt to expand its economy, Saudi Arabia has allowed permission to foreign tourists from 49 countries, Reuters reported. While alcohol continues to be banned, it is not mandatory for tourists to wear all-covering black dresses but should be dressed in a decent manner.
However, the Saudi Crown Prince has also been criticised for his crackdown on women’s right campaigners such as Loujain al-Hathloul, a well-known figure in the campaign for women's driving rights.
(With inputs from Reuters, AP and Al Jazeera)
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