JEDDAH, Aug 24 — Saudi authorities released a teenager detained after a video of him dancing to the 1990s hit Macarena at a Jeddah traffic light was widely shared online, according to reports yesterday.
The boy’s father pledged to make sure his son respects public decency rules, Sabq Online Newspaper reported.
Neither were named but the boy was described as a legal Arab resident of the kingdom, it said, adding the video was published last year.
Saudi Arabia promotes a strict version of Sunni Islam that frowns upon Western-inspired habits or traditions.
Crown Prince Mohammed Salman is attempting to ease some of the restrictions as he seeks to develop and entertainment industry as part of a plan to reduce the economy’s reliance on revenue from oil exports.
The short clip showed a young boy, dressed in shorts and a striped t-shirt, with headphones on, dancing oh a zebra crossing as traffic stopped at a red light.
“Children aren’t to be punished by laws for adults,” Saudi writer Nora Shanar said on Twitter. It’s better to open special schools to foster such talents, she said. — Bloomberg
