The Labour Ministry enforces royal decree on women-only shops. The issue is part of the growing tensions between liberals and religious conservatives.

Riyadh (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Saudi Arabia's Labour Ministry shut down 100 lingerie shops in Riyadh for failing to hire women only. Until recently, the law allowed men to work as shop attendants.

At the start of the year, women won the right to shop at women-only shops. Women's groups said that for many women buying lingerie from male attendants was embarrassing. The kingdom's ultra-conservative Wahhabi clergy wanted instead for women to stay at home.

In January, the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Abdel Aziz al-Sheikh, said that women work was banned under Sharia.

Those in favour of the change said instead that some 40,000 jobs would be available for women. Others criticised the measure, saying men would be out of a job.

The whole issue underscores the growing tensions between liberals and religious conservatives.

A Labour Ministry official was quoted by the newspaper Al-Eqtisadiah as saying that all shops that flouted a decree on the "feminisation and nationalisation of jobs" would be shut down, adding that the measure aims to "provide a safe environment for working women".

The decision stems from a decree issued by King Abdullah in June of last year in an effort to reduce high female unemployment in the conservative kingdom, currently at around 30 per cent.

According to the Labour Ministry, only female assistants can now work at lingerie shops as a first step to be followed by women-only sales assistants at cosmetics outlets.

• saudi
• arabia
• lingerie
• shop
• women-only