New Saudi Personal Status Law Codifies Key Women's Rights

Nadia Ahmad

 

Abstract: One of the goals of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 is to manage family breakdowns when they occur, so individuals can continue to succeed in their personal and professional life. The country’s new personal status law does this while balancing Shariah principles and emerging international commitments and practices. The new law aims to improve the quality of life and promote human rights in the country. This note begins by briefly describing changes the new law introduces with regard to marital consent, marital property, and child custody; and then analyses the Shariah principles these changes rely on. After evaluating the positive effects of this codification in Saudi Arabia, the note concludes by assessing gaps that remain to be filled and recommends areas for further research.