Saudi Women No longer Require Male Permission for Clothing Choices, says Prince MbS

By: WE Staff | Wednesday, 2 April 2025

• Saudi Prince MbS announced the dismantling of guardianship system on Saudi women’s clothing
• Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler has made clear that women are now allowed to make clothing choices on their own

The dismantling of guardianship system has been announced by the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman which now says that women can select their attire choices without taking the permission from male guardians. This serves as a significant step towards Saudi’s ongoing social and economic reforms under the Vision 2030 initiative.

Earlier, Saudi women were requisite to wear an abaya for the longest time i.e., a long, loose-fitting robe paired with a headscarf while carrying strict enforcement by the religious police. However, Prince MbS specified that were not obligated to wear the black abaya specifically while modest dress was required in 2018. This announcement brings the elimination of ambiguity, ensuring that women hold the full authority over their clothing choice.

Recently, the Saudi government has also gone through a shift that moves it towards a more modernized approach for gender equality. The guardianship system’s knock down has been one of the most revolutionary factors of these reforms that required women to look out for male permission for matters like traveling, marriage, and even medical procedures.

Since the announcement brings the authority back to women, the progress of economic and social impacts is expected to eventually rise. Besides, the kingdom has also observed an increase in the participation of female workforce, with more women accepting employment in diverse sectors that includes business, politics, and entertainment. This implies, giving women the right to be independent in terms of fashion choices shall make contributions to an expanding fashion industry, tourism as well as a more progressive international image for Saudi Arabia.