Saudi traditions changing in stores and shopping malls
Riyadh (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Stores and shopping centres are one venue where Saudi traditions are changing, slowly and cautiously. The Labour Ministry ordered the closure of 600 lingerie shops that have not replaced salesmen with women, starting this January. At the same time, Riyadh Governor Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz eased restrictions in order to stop the harassment of women.
Until recently, single men were only allowed into shopping centres at lunchtime on weekdays, a move the authorities said was intended to prevent women from being harassed during peak hours and on weekends.
Shopping malls are a favourite leisure destination for young men and women in the ultra-conservative kingdom, where cinemas and theatres are banned and the gathering of unrelated men and women is a crime. For the country's authorities, gender mixing is seen as source of harassment for women.
Letting men into shopping centres only at lunchtime on weekdays had unintended negative consequences since they would dangerous gather men outside of shopping malls.
The decision to lift the ban was taken by a committee that included the much-dreaded religious police, the Al Riyadh newspaper reported. This is partly related to the appointment by the Saudi king of Shaikh Abdul Latif Abdel Aziz Al Shaikh, a moderate, to head the Saudi religious police, the daily explained.
The decision to hire women to work in lingerie stores was very controversial as traditionalists claimed that women were banned from certain activities on religious grounds.
Now, such stores will employ only women if they do not want to lose their license to operate.
The fact that stores that complied with the new rule increased sales by 30 per cent did not harm the Labour Ministry's decision.
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01/08/2007
