Oman tells shoppers to cover knees and shoulders in malls or face jail

DUBAI: Shoppers in Oman’s malls face jail and fines if they breach new decency laws, national daily Times of Oman reported.

Men and women who expose their shoulders, knees or chest could face fines of up to $780 and jail terms of no more than three months. The new restrictions come amid rising complaints of public indecency in shops and malls in Oman, apply to all people, local, resident, tourist or otherwise.“The terms of dressing modestly have not been specified in great detail, but must include covering the body from the shoulder to below the knee,” Qais bin Mohammed Al-Ma’shari, the chairman of the Public Affairs Committee of the Municipal Council in the Governorate of Muscat, said.He added people’s clothes must “properly cover required parts of the body, should not be revealing, and not having any sensitive drawings or illustrations on them.”Al-Ma’shari however clarified wearing a veil is not mandatory “because of multiculturalism, ideologies, and religious tolerance.”The recommendations will be discussed by the Municipal Council next month, and will only be in effect after an approval from the Minister of the Diwan of the Royal Court.