RIYADH, Dec 4: Saudi women are being issued separate civil identity cards for the first time. Some 1,300 cards have already been issued until now.

The Arabic daily Al-Hayat quoting sources said that 250 women in Riyadh and 1,050 in Jeddah were the first Saudi women in the Kingdom ever to be issued their own separate IDs.

The Okaz daily reported that the first Saudi woman obtained a separate ID from the Civil Identification office in Riyadh on November 14. Saudi Arabia decided in 1999 to grant women IDs following a lengthy debate between supporters and opponents of the decision. However, the implementation of the decision was delayed so that all the necessary arrangements could be made. Separate women wings at Civil Identification offices in various cities were created to cater to women applicants for the identity cards.

Saudi women are currently included on the IDs of their husbands or fathers. Although they need his approval to travel abroad, they are allowed to obtain separate passports. However, this was not considered an official document to prove their identity.