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Saudi women to be notified of divorce by text message

The measure approved by the justice ministry appears to be aimed at curbing cases of men secretly ending marriages without informing their wives.

By Web Desk
January 07, 2019

RIYADH: In a new regulation that took effect on Sunday,   men can no longer divorce wives without informing them in Saudi Arabia, women will receive a text message when a court ruling confirms their divorces. 

As per details, Saudi courts will notify women by text message when they get divorced, Saudi media , citing  the officials, reported on Sunday.  The latest step in a series of social reforms aimed at advancing women’s rights in the kingdom.

The measure approved by the justice ministry appears to be aimed at curbing cases of men secretly ending marriages without informing their wives.

“Women ... will be notified of any changes to their marital status via text message,” the justice ministry said in a statement carried by the state-run Al-Ekhbariya news channel and other local media. Women can also log into the ministry’s website to check their marital status and view the divorce deed, the ministry added.

Men were previously allowed to divorce their wives, including the registration of divorce deeds at the court, without the woman’s knowledge.

Women in KSA have gained more rights over the past two years, following the launch of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s “Vision 2030” plan for economic and social reform.

Women, last year,   celebrated taking the wheel for the first time in decades as the kingdom overturned the world’s only ban on female motorists.

The women in the kingdom have also been allowed to enter sports stadiums, previously a male-only arena, and given the opportunity  to make their  greater participation in the workforce.