under saudi law, every adult female must have a male relative as her "guardian" ("wali"), as of 2008, a woman was required to have permission from her male guardian in order to travel, study, or work. a royal decree passed in may 2017 allowed them to avail government services such as education and healthcare without the need of a consent of a male guardian. the order however also stated that it should only be allowed if it does not contradict the sharia system.