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A Saudi man has been arrested after shooting the male obstetrician who delivered his baby because he was unhappy the doctor had seen his wife naked.

The father was reportedly angry the hospital did not ensure a female obstetrician was on hand to help his wife give birth.

The shooting, at the Kin Fahad Medical City in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, came one month after Dr Muhannad al-Zabn delivered the couple's baby.

Dr Muhannad Al Zabn recuperating after the incident.

The father contacted the doctor saying he wanted to meet with him to thank him for safely delivering the baby, according to the Gulf News.

The two men met in the hospital garden and during the conversation the father allegedly used a gun he had concealed under his clothing to shoot at the doctor.

The father immediately fled and Dr al-Zabn underwent emergency surgery before being moved to the intensive care unit. His condition is now said to be stable.

The gunman was located and arrested a short time later and police are gathering evidence for a possible charge of attempted murder.

The incident prompted debate on social media with the majority of people expressing sympathy for the injured obstetrician.

However some believe the hospital should respect cultural difference and provide a female obstetrician to attend births when requested.

"This is the worst practice. And why was the husband not informed that a male doctor is going inside the delivery room before? Why is there no procedure to follow?" one reader commented on the Gulf News report of the incident.