STILL A LONG WAY TO GO

Saudi Men and Women Can Now Use Same Doors in Restaurants

But the rule change does not apply to dining together.

Officials in Saudi Arabia lifted a mandatory requirement that all restaurants provide separate entrances for women and families and for men. The relatively liberal move, announced on Sunday, follows the softening of strict gender segregation in the kingdom by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, including the lifting of a ban on women drivers. The lifting of the entrance regulation is not compulsory, meaning restaurant owners can choose to maintain separate entrances if they desire. It also did not immediately apply to segregated sections of dining areas, nor does it immediately extend to schools and hospitals where separate entrances are still enforced. The Kingdom still enforces strict guardianship on women, who must have a male relative’s approval for key decisions.