Qatar: Travel Restrictions Tightened for Women Following Royal Succession

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has issued a report stating that Qatari authorities have quietly reintroduced and tightened travel restrictions for women in the wake of the recent leadership transition. According to HRW, several Qatari women reported being barred from departing Hamad International Airport because they lacked the necessary digital 'permission' from their male guardians, a practice that the government had previously claimed was being phased out. The report alleges that the Ministry of Interior’s 'Metrash' app, which controls exit permits, has been updated to require more frequent re-authorizations for women under the age of 25 and, in some cases, for older women as well. HRW reports that these measures appear to be a concession to conservative factions within the ruling family who are seeking to reassert traditional social controls during this period of political uncertainty. According to the findings, the lack of transparency surrounding these rules means that many women only discover they are banned from traveling when they reach the boarding gate, leading to significant personal and professional disruption. Human Rights Watch emphasizes that these discriminatory policies violate Qatar's international human rights obligations and its own constitutional claims of equality. The report further claims that women who have attempted to challenge these restrictions through the courts have faced intimidation from security forces. HRW calls on the international community to pressure the new leadership to permanently abolish the male guardianship system, which continues to treat adult women as legal minors and restricts their fundamental right to freedom of movement.