Saudi Arabia is well known to be one of the world’s most gender-segregated nations, where women live under the supervision of a male guardian, cannot drive, and must wear head-to-toe black garments in public.

Women need approval from a man to travel, study and get some health treatments.

But local media reported this week that King Salman has issued an order allowing women to benefit from government services such as education and healthcare without the consent of a male guardian.

This means women could, in some circumstances, study and access hospital treatment, work in the public and private sector and represent themselves in court without a guardian’s consent, according to Maha Akeel, a women’s rights campaigner and a director at the Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

He said: ‘Now at least it opens the door for discussion on the guardian system.

The order made by King Salman, pictured, is the latest in a series of steps to include more women in the workforce to help diversify the country’s economy and reduce its reliance on oil

The trend started in 2011 when the late King Abdullah allowed women onto the government advisory Shura Council. Women can now vote in municipal elections, work in some retail and hospitality jobs and were allowed to compete in the Olympics for the first time in 2012.

But Saudi Arabia was still ranked 141 of 144 countries in the 2016 Global Gender Gap, a World Economic Forum study on how women fare in economic and political participation, health and education.

The system of male guardianship, which requires women to obtain permission from a father, husband, or son to travel, study or marry is an impediment to realising women’s rights, say rights groups.

Mr Akeel said: ‘Male guardianship is un-Islamic and humiliating for women.

‘Some (men) take advantage of this male guardianship for their own benefit and abuse it.’