Rare Christmas sales in Saudi Arabia

Christmas trees and glittery ornaments are for sale at a Saudi gift shop.

In recent years, festive sales have gradually crept into the capital Riyadh, a sign of loosening social restrictions after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pledged to steer the conservative Gulf kingdom towards modernisation.

"I didn't ever imagine I'd see this" in Saudi Arabia, a Riyadh resident told AFP at the shop selling trees, Santa Claus outfits as well as tinsel, baubles and other ornaments.

"I am surprised," said the resident, declining to be identified.

Expats living in Saudi Arabia inspect Christmas decorations at a shop in the capital Riyadh. PHOTO: AFP

"It was very difficult to find such" Christmas items in the kingdom, said Mary, a Lebanese expat based in Riyadh who preferred to be identified by her first name.

"Many of my friends used to buy them from Lebanon or Syria and sneak them into the country," she said.

But in a sign of the changing times, the Riyadh shop manager, Omar, who declined to provide his surname, said his store sold not just Christmas items but also outfits for Halloween.