The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage will also allow women to rent hotel rooms with proof of identity or if they have a male guardian present who provides ID for them.

In another concession, foreign women will be required to cover shoulders and knees in public but need not wear the full traditional abaya.

It comes after the country announced last month it was opening to foreign tourists for the first time.

Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman is behind the move to attract more foreign tourists, hoping to push tourism income from 3% to 10% of earnings.

The latest lifting of restrictions follows the announcement of a new tourist visa scheme, allowing stays of up to 90 days for citizens from 49 countries, including the UK.

Saudi Arabia hopes to attract visitors to its Red Sea coast as well as the Mada’in Saleh archaeological site in the north-west, which is a series of rock-cut Nabatean tombs similar to Petra.

However, there remain deep concerns about the country following the murder of the writer Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and other issues about day to day freedoms.