Saudi Arabia: Men wearing shorts is not violation

Men wearing shorts is not violation of public decorum except in mosques, govt offices

RIYADH — Men wearing shorts in public won’t be considered a violation of public decorum in Saudi Arabia except in mosques and government offices, a new amendment to the public decency violations schedule revealed.

The decision came after Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz Bin Saud Bin Naif issued recently a ministerial decision calling for the amendment of the public decorum regulation in accordance with the provisions of Articles 7 and 9 of the regulations.

Among the decisions to amend the regulation for violating public decorum, the minister has approved adding a new violation to the classification of public decorum violations, bringing it to 20 violations, from the approved 19.

The decision stipulated a fine for anyone who wears shorts only in mosques and government offices, and the sum would range between SR250-500.

It is noteworthy that the public decorum regulation has come into force on Nov. 2, 2019. It was approved by the minister of interior, who identified 19 violations that the perpetrators of which are punishable by fines ranging from SR50 to SR6,000, and that was before being amended by the latest decision.