Saudia, the national airline for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, may be planning to introduce gender segregation aboard its flights following complaints from passengers who refused to have random males seated next to their wives, the Kingdom’s media reported.
Airline company, Saudia, will order its staff to keep men and women separated onboard, unless they are close relatives, the Emirates247 news website reported.
“There are solutions to this problem…we will soon enforce rules that will satisfy all passengers,” Saudia assistant manager for marketing Abdul Rahman Al Fahd said, according to Saudi daily Ajel.
Saudia’s traveling policies are already in accord with the strict Islam practices of Saudi Arabia. For instance, in addition to the routine boarding announcements at the Kingdom’s airports, a prayer or verse from the Quran is read prior to take off. Furthermore, international flights usually have a specially designated men’s prayer area to accommodate 5 daily prayers. In addition, the airline does not offer any beverages or dishes which contain alcohol or pork products. And the onboard entertainment menu does not offer any movies with adult content.
The Kingdom itself is infamous for gender segregation in everyday matters of society. For instance, women typically require male guardian approval to travel or work outside of the home. Saudi women are also not employed as stewardesses on Saudi Arabia’s national carrier. That role is reserved for women of other nationalities.
