Female Islamic Newsreader in Trouble After Appearing on Saudi TV Without Hair Covered

A female newsreader appeared on Saudi state television without a headscarf. The anonymous woman appeared on the Al Ekhbariya channel reading a bulletin from London.

The same woman had made prior appearances wearing a hijab, as the Islamic dress codes in Saudi Arabia require women to cover themselves with headscarves, veils, and full-length abayas. Female newsreaders have always worn a hijab on Saudi state television before.

Saleh Al Mughailif, who represents Saudi radio and television, told Al Tawasul news that just because the woman was broadcasting from a London studio, she had no right to violate Islamic customs. He said, “She was not in a studio inside Saudi Arabia and we do not tolerate any transgression of our values and the country’s systems.” He vowed that there would be no second incident echoing the first.