World

Women barred from entering Starbucks in Saudi Arabia

Women reportedly barred entry after gender-separation wall ordered by authorities collapsed

News Desk February 03, 2016

PHOTO: AFP

Saudi women going to the Starbucks café in Riyadh were surprised to find a board at the door asking them to keep out of the place, according to Emirates 24/7.

Images of the notice preventing women from entering Starbucks soon began showing up on Twitter.

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Unreal. Starbucks in Saudi Arabia refused to serve women. Note on their door, plus official response from company. pic.twitter.com/d4tCSqqQOv
— Muhammad Lila (@MuhammadLila) February 3, 2016

The notice, in Arabic as well as English, reads, "Please no entry for ladies, only send your driver to order. Thank you."

The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the most influential law enforcing authority in the Kingdom, ordered the café’s management not to admit women, according to Emirates 24/7.

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The commission issued the order after it found that the gender-separation wall ordered by authorities for all restaurants and other shops had collapsed.

The management told police that the wall had collapsed many times because of persistent stampedes by customers.

According to Cosmopolitan, Starbucks issued a statement explaining their action. "Starbucks in Saudi Arabia adheres to the local customs by providing separate entrances for families as well as single people. All our stores provide equal amenities, service, menu, and seating to men, women and families," the statement read.

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"We are working as quickly as possible as we refurbish our Jarir store, so that we may again welcome all customers in accordance with local customs," it added.

Many took to Twitter to condemn the act:

https://twitter.com/danadadinosaur/status/694568018039435265

https://twitter.com/emmasitland/status/694555209083850753

More reasons I'm Thankful I live in ATX in the USA! https://t.co/eVEINgeP74 #girlpower @womensrights
— Fertbottom (@fertbottom) February 1, 2016

https://twitter.com/WHLinen_Guy/status/694203473513070593

https://twitter.com/Jenn_Abrams/status/694532504959655937

https://twitter.com/manarn8/status/694177510104383488

Gents only! #Starbucks in #SaudiArabia https://t.co/v4riniucIk
— Zulfi Rao 💙♻️ 🇵🇸 (@ZulfiRao1) February 3, 2016

https://twitter.com/manarn8/status/694169639669096448

COMMENTS (29)

Shaista | 8 years ago | Reply @Ali: Are you retarded or something? what is "sexist" about Abu Norr and Ovais comments?

syed & syed | 8 years ago | Reply @Prada:: and as many chauffeurs as she wants

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

Clockboy Ahmed | 8 years ago | Reply @Dr Strangelove: Local men or women or both, how is it a bias? I was not allowed in US without a Visa, should I say US Consulate was biased?

Dr Strangelove | 8 years ago | Reply In Bahamas locals aren't allowed in casinos.

binger | 8 years ago | Reply there are hundreds of places in Saudia where single men can't enter.

Rahul | 8 years ago | Reply @Saad: So why couldn't they have barred men from entering or stopping people from entering beyond a particular limit? Its because its easy and preferred to opress women

Prada | 8 years ago | Reply Guys, go easy on the Saudis, will you? To their credit, they have given their women permission to bear as many children as they want. Surely that deserves an applause.

SEAsian | 8 years ago | Reply @Abu Norr: If you can read the notice posted on the door, you won't have to make up stories.

Tp | 8 years ago | Reply Somebody forgot to tell them that the Dark Ages are over. Then again, they are who they are.

Faizan Shaikh | 8 years ago | Reply Ur concerned with thats happening in Saudia? Well there are many Hotels and points within Pakistan which do not allow PAKISTANIS to enter in it. About time we start worrying about our own selves and our own country. What happens outside is their own business...!!!

Moses | 8 years ago | Reply Yeah cuz we have money and you are so jealous and obsessed with Saudi Arabia

Zara | 8 years ago | Reply It's called insanity. When will something good come out of saudi arabia? Except from saudi black metal, nada...

Chris | 8 years ago | Reply How stupefyingly idiotic. Get it together guys.

steve | 8 years ago | Reply Can't they just use the drive through? Oh wait....

Kahlia | 8 years ago | Reply No one in the civilized world expects any better from this backwards little country.

Gay Mohammed on fire | 8 years ago | Reply There really needs to be an asteroid wipe out the whole place.

Husam | 8 years ago | Reply It is only a one branch among a lot branches in Riyadh. Usually cafés in Riyadh have families and singles sections, but this particular branch has only one section (which is weird) and they were serving females, but sometimes it gets too crowded, and in saudi culture women should have some space. Otherwise women are welcomed in any starbucks branch, either alone or with their families.

Kervin Jacquet | 8 years ago | Reply This is so shameful and sad. And yet our American government continually call Saudi Arabia are "ally".

Saad | 8 years ago | Reply That's not true, that's a sign on only one of there stores because it gets really crowded in the morning. Other Starbucks stores allow women to enter. Please check your facts before accusing an entire nation.

Jason | 8 years ago | Reply I lived in KSA for over 3 years and almost every store has a separate section for families (including women only) and single men. There are even places single men are not allowed. Its a country where their laws are based off their religion, thats how the country is whether we like or not.

Abdulaziz bin Abdulaziz aziz | 8 years ago | Reply @Abu Norr: its still up.

Karrar | 8 years ago | Reply The collapsing of walls by repeated customer stampede shows the frustration of public. The regime themselves on the other hand book the whole of french beaches to vent their own frustration with their own rules.

Hameed | 8 years ago | Reply How come ladies are allowed to have drivers? Isn't it more dangerous to be alone in a car with a man? Starbucks is still a public place and likelihood of any hancky pancky is extremely remote.

Daniel Little | 8 years ago | Reply How does Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice prevent Saudi men from seeing Saudi women on streets, or does it not apply there? Not going to say the western world is perfect but that is so outlandish and backwards.

Haira Phairi | 8 years ago | Reply So what's new in it. It's been like that in KSA since ages.

Ali | 8 years ago | Reply Whats with the sexist comments by Ovais and Abu Norr?? Seems like they definately agree with saudi misogyny.

vinsin | 8 years ago | Reply Their countries their laws. Saudi never claimed to be a liberal society anyway, it is an Islamic state, so make sense.

Ovais | 8 years ago | Reply ET why would you share such an article . they dont have family seating area .. why is the fuss with saudia and ET . your biasdness is obvious.

Abu Norr | 8 years ago | Reply Its not true. They are serving everyone. Females in the family section.... confirmation from ground

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