Saudi Arabia issues public behaviour code
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia’s government has unveiled a series of public conduct rules that went into effect on Saturday and include fines for 19 different types of infractions, including playing loud music in residential neighbourhoods, not picking up pet waste and spitting in the street.
The new guidelines come at a time when the kingdom is opening up its doors to foreign tourism.
Also included in the list of infractions are “behaviours that are contrary to morality, including those of a sexual nature,” as well as playing music during the “call to prayer or during prayer,” the Saudi Interior Ministry said in a statement, Xinhua news agency reported.
Other punishable offenses including littering, wearing clothing with phrases or images that promote racism or the consumption of prohibited substances or pornographic material and cutting in front of others in line.
The ministry said those infractions will be punishable by fines ranging from 50 riyals ($13.33) to 3,000 riyals.
Most of those behaviours were already prohibited in Saudi Arabia, but no specific punishment had been provided and the decision had been left to a judge.
The ultra-conservative kingdom took a major step Friday in opening to the world by authorizing the issuance of tourist visas to citizens of 49 countries, including the United States, nations that are part of Europe’s Schengen Area, Australia, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.
It also stated that female visitors from other countries will not be required to wear the abaya, a body-shrouding robe that all local women must wear in public.
Even so, foreign women will need to dress “modestly,” said Ahmed al-Khatib, the chairman of the board of directors of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage. (IANS)
Prince Harry meets Angola president on Africa tour
Luanda: The United Kingdoms Prince Harry met with the president of Angola João Lourenço in the final day of the royal’s visit to the African country.
Harry and Lourenço met at the Presidential Palace in Luanda on Saturday, where the Duke of Sussex was welcomed with a red carpet while a presidential guard formed a corridor in his honor, Efe news reported.
“Continuing his visit in Angola, the Duke of Sussex met President João Lourenço this morning to thank him for the incredibly warm welcome in his country,” the Sussexes’ official Instagram account said.
Harry followed in the footsteps of his mother Diana Princess of Wales by visiting a minefield in Angola on Friday, as she did in 1997 to support efforts against landmines.
Angola’s president on Friday showed gratitude to Diana for drawing attention to the struggle of Angolan civilians back in 1997.
Harry also expressed how eliminating the mines has helped change Angola for the better, Lourenço added.
After his meeting, Harry is set to visit the Lucrecia Paim Maternity hospital to learn first hand about Born Free to Shine, a campaign launched by Angola’s First Lady Ana Dias Lourenco.
The initiative aims to reduce the mother-to-child transmission of HIV. (IANS)