The problems that veiling present to the matter of identification are being sorted out within Saudi society and government. Saudi Gazette reports that the Shoura Council has dropped a recommendation that would permit women to continue to obscure their faces when properly asked for identification by males. Further, in order to prevent fraud, it is encouraging the use of both photographs and fingerprints for ID.

Over the past decade, women have been required to show their faces for passport photographs, but women for whom this would present a problem could simply avoid getting passports. Now, with ID cards required of all adults — men and women — even the conservatives will be forced to comply.

Women should uncover faces for identification: Shoura
Joud Al-Amri | Saudi Gazette

RIYADH – The Shoura Council Sunday dropped a controversial recommendation from its draft law which allowed women to keep their faces covered in front of men who were responsible for verifying their identity.

The Shoura accepted the suggestion that women could be employed to verify the identities of women.

Fingerprints can be added but not replace face identification, the Shoura said.
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