Saudi women no longer need husband or male guardian's consent to start biz

Saudi women will from now on be allowed to open their own businesses without the consents of their male relatives, media reports said on Sunday.

Besides the opening up society Saudi Arabia seeks to achieve, especially integration of women in different walks of life, the decision also comes to meet the requirements of the fast-growing private sector, Xinhua reported.

"Women can now launch their own businesses and benefit from (governmental) e-services without having to prove consent from a guardian," the ministry of commerce and investment said on its website.

The change in policy is also a step forward away from the strict guardianship system imposed on women for decades.