Women to get divorce notice via text message in Saudi Arabia

Courts will now serve women their divorce notice via text message in Saudi Arabia, in a new regulation that took effect on Sunday, officials said.

The measure approved by the justice ministry appears aimed at curbing seemingly rampant cases of men secretly ending marriages without informing their wives.

Women… will be notified of any changes to their marital status via text message, the justice ministry said in a statement carried by state-run Al-Ekhbariya news channel and other local media.

Women in the kingdom will be able to view documents related to the termination of their marriage contracts through the ministry’s website.

The move comes as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler spearheads a liberalisation drive in the conservative kingdom, which has some of the world’s toughest restrictions on women, AFP reports.