Dating Culture Takes Root in Saudi Arabia

Published February 13th, 2020 - 07:03 GMT

Pursuing relationships outside of marriage in the kingdom once amounted to a death wish and selling red roses was like selling drugs. Now a sweeping liberalization drive allowed gender mixing has made it easier for young couples to meet in cafes and restaurants.

Pre-marital relationships remain a cultural minefield. Covert dating operations illustrate how Saudi Arabia's mainly young population is often compelled to lead dual lives in the pursuit of social liberties that may outstrip the kingdom's capacity for change.

Saudi society is more open, but everyone lies about relationships because people are judgemental.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has loosened social norms; women have been seen swaying on the shoulders of men at music concerts as the kingdom tears down the walls of sex segregation. But while the religious police have stepped back, the internal policing within Saudi families and society at large has not stopped, highlighting the limits of a Western-style liberalization drive in a deeply conservative country.

Modern romance is perilous and dating is full of risks.

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A picture taken on January 12, 2020 shows a Saudi couple attending a football match at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium in Jeddah. In Saudi Arabia's rigid past, religious police once swooped down on rose sellers and anyone peddling red paraphernalia around Valentine's Day, but now a more open -- albeit risky -- dating culture is taking root. Pursuing relationships outside of marriage in the conservative Islamic kingdom once amounted to a death wish, and would-be Romeos resorted to pressing phone numbers up against their car window in hope of making contact with women. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP

Valentine's Day in Saudi Arabia (Twitter)

A picture taken on January 31, 2020 shows young Saudis walking next to a portrait of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Riyadh Season Boulevard in the Saudi capital. In Saudi Arabia's rigid past, religious police once swooped down on rose sellers and anyone peddling red paraphernalia around Valentine's Day, but now a more open -- albeit risky -- dating culture is taking root. Pursuing relationships outside of marriage in the conservative Islamic kingdom once amounted to a death wish, and would-be Romeos resorted to pressing phone numbers up against their car window in hope of making contact with women. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP

A picture taken on January 31, 2020 shows young Saudis gathering at the Riyadh Season Boulevard in the Saudi capital. In Saudi Arabia's rigid past, religious police once swooped down on rose sellers and anyone peddling red paraphernalia around Valentine's Day, but now a more open -- albeit risky -- dating culture is taking root. Pursuing relationships outside of marriage in the conservative Islamic kingdom once amounted to a death wish, and would-be Romeos resorted to pressing phone numbers up against their car window in hope of making contact with women. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP

Valentine's Day in Saudi Arabia (Twitter)

A picture taken on January 12, 2020 shows a Saudi couple attending a football match at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium in Jeddah. In Saudi Arabia's rigid past, religious police once swooped down on rose sellers and anyone peddling red paraphernalia around Valentine's Day, but now a more open -- albeit risky -- dating culture is taking root. Pursuing relationships outside of marriage in the conservative Islamic kingdom once amounted to a death wish, and would-be Romeos resorted to pressing phone numbers up against their car window in hope of making contact with women. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP

Valentine's Day in Saudi Arabia (Twitter)

A picture taken on January 31, 2020 shows young Saudis walking next to a portrait of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Riyadh Season Boulevard in the Saudi capital. In Saudi Arabia's rigid past, religious police once swooped down on rose sellers and anyone peddling red paraphernalia around Valentine's Day, but now a more open -- albeit risky -- dating culture is taking root. Pursuing relationships outside of marriage in the conservative Islamic kingdom once amounted to a death wish, and would-be Romeos resorted to pressing phone numbers up against their car window in hope of making contact with women. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP

A picture taken on January 31, 2020 shows young Saudis gathering at the Riyadh Season Boulevard in the Saudi capital. In Saudi Arabia's rigid past, religious police once swooped down on rose sellers and anyone peddling red paraphernalia around Valentine's Day, but now a more open -- albeit risky -- dating culture is taking root. Pursuing relationships outside of marriage in the conservative Islamic kingdom once amounted to a death wish, and would-be Romeos resorted to pressing phone numbers up against their car window in hope of making contact with women. FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP