Saudi police release teenager detained for dancing in street

In the 45-second video, the teenager dances to the 90s hit song ‘Macarena’ at a street crossing in Jeddah

DUBAI: A 14-year-old boy who was detained by Saudi police for dancing to the song 'Macarena' at a traffic intersection has been released with a warning about road safety, the interior ministry said on Wednesday.

The boy was filmed dancing to the catchy 1990s hit song in front of five lanes of cars stopped at a traffic light, in a clip widely shared on social media. The teenager, whose name and nationality were not given, was being questioned because he had shown "improper public behaviour" and disrupted traffic, a statement from Makkah police said.  It was not clear whether he would be formally charged.

In the 45-second video, a teenager wearing a striped t-shirt, grey sports shorts and brightly-coloured shoes strides to the middle of a crosswalk. He starts dancing to the catchy tune in front of five lanes of cars stopped at a traffic light.

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Earlier this month, police arrested and released a Saudi singer for using the 'dab' move in an onstage dance.

Abdallah al-Shahani appeared on a viral video performing the dance at a music festival in the city of Taif in southwestern Saudi Arabia.



The dance had been banned in the Kingdom by the National Committee for Drug Control, on the grounds that it advocated or encouraged drug abuse, according to Saudi media. Saudis are among the most active users of social media in the Arab world, using the internet as an outlet for debate and interaction in their deeply conservative society.