Middle East

Watch: Saudi man fined for wearing night thobe in public

Although the thobe appears modest, it is considered homewear and not deemed suitable for public spaces in Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh: A Saudi citizen has been fined Saudi Riyals (SR) 100 for stepping out in a night thobe—an outfit traditionally worn indoors—in violation of the Kingdom’s public decency regulations.

The incident took place in the Qassim region and was captured in a video shared by the Ministry of Interior (MoI), which shows officers stopping the man for his clothing choice.

Although the thobe appeared modest, it falls under homewear and is not deemed suitable for public spaces in Saudi Arabia. The act was found to be in breach of Article 4 of the Public Decency Regulations.

Watch the video here

Repeat violations may lead to a doubled fine, reaching SR 200. Under Article 8, fines for public decency breaches can go up to SR 5,000, with penalties doubling if repeated within 12 months.

The video is part of an ongoing campaign by Saudi authorities to promote awareness around appropriate dress codes and behaviour in public.

This post was last modified on July 16, 2025 8:40 pm

Share
Sakina Fatima

Sakina Fatima, a digital journalist with Siasat.com, has a master's degree in business administration and is a graduate in mass communication and journalism. Sakina covers topics from the Middle East, with a leaning towards human interest issues.

Load more...