<s>
Absher	B-Application
(	O
‘	O
Abshar	O
,	O
roughly	O
meaning	O
"	O
good	O
tidings	O
"	O
or	O
"	O
yes	O
,	O
done	O
"	O
)	O
is	O
a	O
smartphone	B-Application
application	I-Application
which	O
allows	O
citizens	O
and	O
residents	O
of	O
Saudi	O
Arabia	O
to	O
use	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
governmental	O
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amongst	O
several	O
other	O
services	O
with	O
the	O
Absher	B-Application
app	O
,	O
it	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
apply	O
for	O
jobs	O
and	O
Hajj	O
permits	O
,	O
passport	O
info	O
can	O
be	O
updated	O
,	O
and	O
electronic	O
crimes	O
can	O
be	O
reported	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
app	O
can	O
be	O
downloaded	O
from	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
Store	O
and	O
Apple	B-Application
App	I-Application
Store	I-Application
and	O
is	O
supplied	O
by	O
the	O
Saudi	O
Interior	O
Ministry	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
the	O
Ministry	O
of	O
the	O
Interior	O
,	O
Absher	B-Application
has	O
more	O
than	O
20	O
million	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
February	O
2019	O
,	O
Absher	B-Application
has	O
been	O
downloaded	O
4.2	O
million	O
times	O
from	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2021	O
,	O
Saudi	O
Arabia	O
launched	O
the	O
digital	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
Absher	B-Application
individuals	O
app	O
through	O
which	O
the	O
users	O
can	O
download	O
a	O
copy	O
of	O
their	O
digital	O
ID	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Absher	B-Application
gained	O
media	O
attention	O
in	O
2019	O
for	O
its	O
functions	O
supporting	O
the	O
Saudi	O
policy	O
of	O
male	O
guardianship	O
following	O
an	O
investigation	O
by	O
Business	O
Insider	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
US	O
Senator	O
Ron	O
Wyden	O
of	O
Oregon	O
wrote	O
a	O
letter	O
to	O
the	O
CEO	O
's	O
of	O
Apple	O
and	O
Google	B-Application
,	O
criticizing	O
the	O
app	O
and	O
demanding	O
for	O
its	O
removal	O
immediately	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amnesty	O
International	O
and	O
Human	O
Rights	O
Watch	O
accused	O
Apple	O
and	O
Google	B-Application
of	O
helping	O
"	O
enforce	O
gender	O
apartheid	O
"	O
by	O
hosting	O
the	O
app	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
US	O
congresswomen	O
Rep.	O
Katherine	O
Clark	O
and	O
Rep.	O
Carolyn	O
B	O
.	O
Maloney	O
condemned	O
the	O
kingdom	O
's	O
male	O
guardianship	O
system	O
that	O
reflected	O
from	O
the	O
app	O
,	O
calling	O
Absher	B-Application
a	O
"	O
patriarchal	O
weapon	O
"	O
and	O
asking	O
for	O
its	O
removal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
response	O
to	O
the	O
criticism	O
received	O
by	O
Absher	B-Application
,	O
Apple	O
chief	O
executive	O
officer	O
Tim	O
Cook	O
stated	O
in	O
February	O
2019	O
that	O
he	O
intended	O
to	O
investigate	O
the	O
situation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similarly	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
announced	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
also	O
review	O
the	O
application	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
a	O
prompt	O
review	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
declined	O
to	O
remove	O
the	O
app	O
from	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
,	O
citing	O
that	O
it	O
did	O
not	O
violate	O
the	O
agreed	O
upon	O
terms	O
and	O
conditions	O
of	O
the	O
store	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kuraya	O
wrote	O
that	O
Absher	B-Application
helped	O
Saudi	O
women	O
avoid	O
governmental	O
bureaucracy	O
as	O
it	O
allows	O
their	O
male	O
guardians	O
to	O
process	O
their	O
travel	O
permits	O
anywhere	O
and	O
anytime	O
through	O
Absher	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
she	O
believes	O
that	O
the	O
guardianship	O
system	O
needs	O
to	O
be	O
reconsidered	O
,	O
she	O
thinks	O
that	O
Absher	B-Application
is	O
an	O
important	O
step	O
towards	O
facilitating	O
women-guardians	O
related	O
issues	O
in	O
Saudi	O
Arabia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Absher	B-Application
manager	O
Atiyah	O
Al-Anazy	O
announced	O
in	O
2019	O
that	O
2	O
million	O
women	O
were	O
using	O
the	O
application	O
in	O
Saudi	O
Arabia	O
to	O
facilitate	O
their	O
transactions	O
.	O
</s>
