Halloween in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is at the center of the attention of the entire Muslim world due to its location of the holiest Muslim sites, Medina and Makkah. For this reason, this nation has consistently held a central strategic place in the Islamic world, as well as maintaining a certain level of decency throughout its 100-year period. But as the Kingdom's new de facto ruler and crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman has made changes to modernize the country, things are changing. At first, women were allowed to drive and work. Later, the government cleaned the cinemas, and now Saudi Arabia celebrates Halloween for the first time. On the boulevard in Riyadh, people came out in costumes and were photographed. People were horrified at the government-sponsored celebrations, and Muslims around the world condemned them.

Halloween Celebration in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia celebrated Halloween by posting photos on social media showing revelers roaming the capital Riyadh in scary costumes. “Scary Weekend” was celebrated from Thursday to Sunday. This is a change from the previous kingdom's stance when Halloween was banned just a few years ago. But according to his Vision 2030, the celebration was allowed. However, the celebration has divided social media users, with some praising the kingdom's openness and others criticizing the move. In 2018, several news outlets reported that Saudi police raided a Halloween party and arrested dozens of people wearing ghost costumes. They ordered women wearing strange clothes to cover themselves. But this year, strangely dressed people took to the streets of Riyadh. They were dressed up as monsters, witches, bank robbers, and even French maids. Although Halloween is long gone in the Gulf, attendees of the event described the event as a harmless form of entertainment. Honestly, it's a great celebration and it has a very joyful spirit... I don't know if it's haram or halal. We celebrate it just for fun and nothing else. We don't believe in anything, said the participant who attended the celebration. “Scary Weekend” was the second costume party organized in the capital. A similar event, the masquerade, was held earlier this year on Riyadh Boulevard in the city of Riyadh on March 17 and 18 and was described as the biggest costume party in Saudi Arabia. A report in the New York Times suggested that the government-sponsored event was held just before Halloween, which traditionally falls on October 31, to avoid being seen as an official commemoration of the festival, which has pagan roots.

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