Saudi ends ban on single men’s entry to malls

Saudi authorities decided to end a long-standing ban on the entry of single men into shopping malls in the capital after finding that the ban backfired. 

Authorities in Riyadh barred the entry of teen agers and other single men and to shopping malls years ago following reports of harassment of women. 

In a report this week, Saudi newspapers said the ban was cancelled by Prince Sattam bin Abdul Aziz of Riyadh in line with a recommendation by Riyadh’s police and the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the most influential law enforcement authority in the Gulf Kingdom. 

The report said they made the recommendation following reports that the ban did not produce the desired results as it pushed large groups of teen agers to crowd outside shopping malls and harass female shoppers. 

“A committee formed for this purpose proposed that only those who harass women or cause other problems are barred from the malls…it directed all authorities concerned to enforce the new decision immediately,” the Arabic language daily Sharq said. 

Previously, single men were allowed into shopping centers in the capital only at lunch time on weekdays, a move the authorities said was intended to prevent women being harassed during peak hours.

Managers of shopping centers and malls had banned single men from entering their premises to avoid unruly scenes.

Quoted by local newspapers, Commission president Abdullatif Al Al-Sheikh said his group did not impose any such ban on the youth.

“The Commission has never issued any directives or orders to prevent single men from entering malls or restricting their movements in any way,” he said.

“It should also be understood that the Commission does not have anything in its system that bans young men from entering such facilities. In fact, the management of some malls and shopping centers are the ones which prevent the entry of bachelors or ask the Commission to do so.”

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