Saudi Reporter Under Probe for “Indecent Dressing” Flees Country

The photo was taken while Shireen was reporting on the end of a decades-long woman driving ban in Saudi Arabia.

The photo was taken while she was reporting on the end of a decades-long woman driving ban in Saudi Arabia.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/The Daily Digest)

Saudi Arabian TV presenter Shireen al-Rifaiem who was being probed for wearing “indecent” clothes has reportedly fled the country after the controversy erupted, reported The Indian Express.

Shireen was seen wearing a loose headscarf, accompanied with gown that revealed her trousers and a shirt, sparking criticism on social media for allegedly violating the kingdom’s dress code for women.

The photo was taken while she was reporting on the end of a decades-long ban on woman driving in Saudi Arabia.

The Dubai-based Al Aan TV presenter’s photo, vent viral with the Arab hashtag which roughly translates to "naked woman driving in Riyadh,” reported AFP.

Speaking to local media, Shireen dismissed the charges, stating that she was wearing “decent clothes”, reported AFP.

Saudi hardliners are reportedly being mocked on social media for calling a fully clad woman “naked”.

Saudi women were officially allowed to get behind the wheel after the ban was lifted on 24 June.

Earlier in June, the country had issued the first ten driving licences to women, after Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud officially announced in September 2017 that women will be allowed to drive.

(With inputs from The Indian Express, AFP)