Shabab shenanigans keep mall guards on their toes

Many young Saudi men trying to gain entry into shopping malls using various tricks have become a headache for security guards.
The youngsters, locally known as shabab, argue that they are unnecessarily being deprived of spending their free time in malls, while the security guards say they indulge in immoral acts like harassing women.
Usually the drama begins during the weekend at the gates of malls where young men try to get attention. They gather outside and reportedly annoy visitors.
Security guard Hasan Madawi Sharafi said the youths cause them a lot of problems. “Our work becomes tedious when we have to follow young people and foil their tricks,” he told Arab News.
Some of these tricks include the young men claiming that their families are inside the mall, or they pay strange women to accompany them.
“We usually hand these youths to police and sometimes the police keep the guard in custody as if it’s a personal dispute between the guard and the young man, leading the case to be dropped,” he said.
Saeed Al-Omari, a youth, said that the banning decision has led them to try and challenge it. “We feel like we are a rejected lot and are an unaccepted part of society. Hence, we are challenging the decision and want to prove that we exist,” he told Arab News. Young people feel left out since they don't have recreational venues, he added.
Dr. Khalid Jalban, a medicine consultant at King Khalid University, said these decisions might provoke their sense of challenge and push them to find illegal ways to enter these forbidden areas.
Jalban urged authorities to strengthen moral restrictions but not take away the youth’s right to enter these venues. “Just like women can shop inside and outside malls, young people should also have that right. There should be a balance, and force should not be used,” he explained, adding that the authorities concerned should find a solution so that young men don’t use gimmicks and challenge security personnel.
With nearly 60 percent of population is under the age of 30 in the Kingdom, there is a need to launch programs to absorb the energies of youths and address their need to engage in hobbies.
Jalban warned that the absence of youth-oriented activities might lead that segment of society to become rebellious and eager to find ways to challenge regulations.
However, the head of Al-Saher Security, Khalid Al-Mishan, said that there are many “immoral” acts caused by the unwanted visitors. “These restrictions are in place so people feel comfortable leaving their families in the mall and thinking they are safe,” he said, adding that one of the problems they face is harassment of women.