RIYADH — Restaurants in Saudi Arabia will no longer need to maintain entrances segregated by sex, the authorities said on Sunday, further eroding some of the world’s strictest social rules as sweeping reforms take hold. Previously, Saudi Arabia required all restaurants to have one entrance for families and women, and another for men on their own. A spokesman for the ministry contacted by Reuters did not specify whether segregated seating areas inside restaurants would also be eliminated. The new rules are not compulsory, meaning restaurants could still maintain separate entrances if owners choose to do so, he said. Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s most gender-segregated nations, has also been chipping away at a guardianship system which requires all women have a male relative’s approval for important decisions, though some key restrictions remain.

Source: National Post December 08, 2019 15:33 UTC