Is wearing the Saudi national dress by non-Saudis a security violation that holds them in breach of the law?
According to a recently published report, police in Taif arrested a group of non-Saudis who have been celebrating a family occasion while dressed in the traditional Saudi attire. The arrests were part of a security crackdown by police on violators of the Kingdom’s immigration laws.
I must admit I did not understand why anyone wearing the national dress of another country should be arrested. I don’t know if Taif police viewed this as a security violation and acted accordingly, or whether there is a law banning non-Saudis from wearing the Kingdom’s national dress.
It is true, national dress is the costume through which a cultural identity is expressed. The dress usually relates to a geographic area, but can also indicate social, marital and/or religious status.
Taif police must excuse me if I say I find no harm in any non-Saudi wearing our national dress as long as they are residing legally in the country and employed in a profession that earns them legal income to lead a decent life.
What is the problem if any of the expatriates or visitors coming to our country decided to use the traditional Saudi dress? On the contrary, I regard such conduct a sign of love and appreciation for our national costume.
No country in the world other than ours considers wearing its national dress by people other than its citizens a security violation. Crimes are crimes everywhere. A person committing theft is viewed as a thief in Saudi Arabia as in any other country. The same applies to individuals involved in drug trafficking, prostitution, sorcery, embezzlement, traffic and all other kinds of violations. They are all criminals under the law if convicted.
But I have never heard of any country that considers wearing of its national dress by people other than its citizens a crime.
Examples abound of cases of people traveling abroad and wearing the national dress of the country they visited. Most of the Saudi citizens who travel for study, business or leisure have never been subjected to any harassment or faced problems because of the kind of dress they wear, be it their own national costume or the dress of the country they were visiting.
I hope Taif police and other relevant bodies would provide some convincing answers.
