DOHA: Qatari nationals and expatriates travelling to Saudi Arabia by road or air have been cautioned against carrying mobile phones with cameras.
According to some Qatari nationals who visited the kingdom recently, Saudi authorities at entry points usually ask the visitor whether they are carrying a mobile phone equipped with a camera. These authorities, using a glass-cutter, usually scratch the lens of the camera so that it cannot be used.
The other option offered is to remove the Sim card and leave the handset with the officials, who issue a token. The handset is returned when the visitor leaves the country.
They said that such steps were being taken by Saudi authorities since mobile phones with cameras are banned in the kingdom following complaints of their misuse.
Source: [The Peninsula] Via: [PM]
Now, really, when will the Saudi authorities join the civilized world?!
I was in Saudi just yesterday, crossed in from the Kuwait border, they didn’t ask me about my phone and I also make sure to have it on silent and in my pocket for the checking. Yet in Saudi I saw lots of people with camera phones from the “Panda” Nokia 6600 and the “Manga” 7210. I even asked why do you have them when they are supposedly banned. They shruged it off, saying its just banned in certain areas and really depends on the cop, but he said that pretty much everyone has one now anyway.
Actually, the phones aren’t legally banned. Three Saudi Ministries, in fact, have asked that the gov’t stop enforcing an illegal ban.
But there have been problems, not just with explicit photos, but also photos taken in weddings and other all-women events. Those pictures, apparently, are finding their ways onto the Internet, as well as to men looking for brides.
Hehe, it’s actually so much funnier than that 🙂 and so much stupider….
When we went to Saudi in March, the lady who does searches searched in my purse for an hour, and even unlocked it and started reading the messages and looking at my phonebook. She, though, didn’t realize it had a camera.
Hehe, male cops do though 🙂 My friends actually get stopped in their cars, and they ask them to show them their driving license, car registration forms, “iqama” which is residency license, and hehe… their phones!
Amal,
Interesting revelation!
The reason why these phones have been banned is because of some recent “scandals” involving sexually explicit photos of prominent family members being passed around.
7586 AD !
This is my optimistic answer to your question.
I don’t know how to convert that to “Hijri.”