Saudi eliminates gender-segregated entrances for eateries

Restaurants and cafes in Saudi Arabia are no longer required to have gender-segregated entrances, officials said, in a further easing of social restrictions in the kingdom.

Eateries have long required one entrance for single men and another for women and families. The ministry of municipalities and rural affairs said on Twitter Sunday it was eliminating several requirements for restaurants, including the need for “an entrance for bachelors and a separate entrance for families”.

It was unclear whether a restriction on seating inside restaurants will also be removed. Restaurants are currently segregated into a “family” section for those accompanied by women and a “singles” area for men.