Saudi Religious Police Return, Just With a Little Less Vengeance
The vice cops seemed to have vanished as the new crown prince implemented his Vision 2030. Some Saudis are happy to see them back.
Female shoppers wearing traditional dress sit and wait for their transport outside the Kingdom Centre shopping mall in Riyadh.
Photographer: Simon Dawson/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Outside a supermarket in Riyadh, a long-bearded police officer peers at a driver, glances at his female passenger and issues an order: “You should stay away from women.”
The trouble for the young man is that women are banned from driving in Saudi Arabia. He works for a ride-sharing company and the vast majority of his customers are female. “What am I supposed to do?” he protested before shrugging and taking off. “Leave them?”