April 3- The Department of Civil Affairs will offer a national ID for Saudi women that can be used to travel to countries of the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC). “Women don’t need a male guardian to apply,” said Latifa Al-Ghamdi, an official of the women’s section of the Civil Affairs Department in Dammam. However, they still require permission from their male guardians to travel.

The new high-tech cards will include GPS tracking, fingerprints and features that will make them difficult to forge. The card, which is optional, has been touted as an additional step toward women’s empowerment in Saudi Arabia.