Security
officers at the gates of Diplomatic Quarter are turning back Saudi females
not accompanied by male guardians.
"Saudi women are not allowed in foreign embassies unless accompanied
by male guardians," a Saudi security guard told The Saudi Gazette.
"We received new regulations from the Ministry of Interior to turn
back any Saudi woman going to foreign embassies without legal male
guardians."
Attempts to contact the ministry to verify the guard’s claim were
unsuccessful.
Saudi women going to embassies to apply for visas or work must be
accompanied by legal male guardians, the guard said.
Embassies contacted said they were unaware of the regulations.
Diplomatic Quarter security sources said the new regulation likely came
after an incident in which Saudi women attended a function at a foreign
embassy. The new regulation has irritated many Saudi women who have to go
to foreign embassies to apply for visas or conduct business.
A Saudi Gazette reporter was invited by a foreign embassy to attend a
reception to introduce the new regional information resource officer. The
invitation was sent to both female and male Saudi journalists. Only the
male journalists were allowed without hassle.
"All female journalists were refused entry at the gate. We sent our
embassy car to receive the female journalists at the gate and that was the
only way they were allowed in," an embassy official said.
"I have work to do. I cover the embassies for my publication, but now
I can’t do my job," said one journalist who was refused entry. The
Saudi Gazette reporter had covered Press conferences and functions at
embassies without any problem.
"Sometimes I am stopped at the gate if I’m not carrying my ID or
invitation but usually when I show them my Press ID, I am let
through," the reporter said.
Saudi women frequently face trouble entering the Diplomatic Quarter.
"I have been turned back a couple of times for no reason. Other times
security guards say because I am a women I won’t be allowed in," one
Saudi woman said. "This might be another trick security guards are
using to limit the number of Saudi women entering the Diplomatic
Quarter."
The Saudi Gazette requested to see the new regulations but the request was
denied.
