Saudi Arabian women are now allowed for the annual Hajj registration without the male guardian (mahram), Private News reported on Monday.

In its registration procedures issued for this year’s Hajj for local pilgrims, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah stated “women did not need to have a male guardian to register, and could do so along with other women”.

“Those wishing to perform Haj will have to register individually. Women can register without a mahram (male guardian) along with other women,” the ministry tweeted.

The major advancement came days after it was officially announced that Saudi women can live on their own without needing the permission of their father or male guardian after a new legal alteration by the Kingdom.

The landmark steps corrode the longstanding guardianship system that condenses adult women as legal minors and allows their “guardians” — husband, father, and other male relatives — to implement subjective right over them.

In 2019, the Kingdom had decided to permit women to travel abroad without approval from a male guardian.