Saudi Arabia has risen to 126th place out of 146 countries in the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Global Gender Index, reflecting an improvement from previous rankings. This progress is attributed to various women’s rights reforms in recent years, including the right for women to obtain passports, access state services without male guardianship, marry only after the age of 18, and benefit from eased custody regulations. Other reforms include increased educational opportunities, relaxed attire modesty regulations, and the ability to open businesses or apply for jobs without a guardian’s consent. However, critics argue that many of these changes are superficial. Travel bans on feminist activists remain in place, and guardian permission is still required for marriage, divorce, and leaving domestic abuse shelters. Additionally, discriminatory rulings on marriage and custody have been codified, gender segregation persists in educational spaces, job opportunities for women remain largely limited to education and caregiving, and women’s rights activists continue to face imprisonment.