Viral videos leading to arrests in Saudi Arabia

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Social media has once again led to an arrest in Saudi Arabia, this time for "improper public behavior."

Saudi police detained and released at least three people over the course of five weeks after "controversial videos" of them were widely shared on social media.

As Saudi Arabia has high rates of social media use, any online content deemed to flout the kingdom’s laws draws a widespread reaction.

Saudi teen dancing in the middle of a traffic intersection /Screenshot from the viral clip

A case of a teenager is the focus of debate on morality issues in the Kingdom after a clip of him dancing to 90s hit song Macarena in the middle of a traffic intersection in the coastal city of Jeddah emerged.

The footage received a mixture of criticism and appreciation online. According to reports in the Arabic media, some users said the boy was disrespectful, while others called him a hero.

Police detained the 14-year-old boy but later released him.

Saudi singer Abdallah al Shaharani during the onstage performance /Screenshot from the footage

The Saudi Interior Ministry said Wednesday the teen had been freed with a warning about road safety.

The name and nationality of the teenager were not given. Police said earlier he was being interrogated because he had shown "improper public behavior" and disrupted traffic.

He was released without charge, after he and his legal guardian signed a written pledge that the boy will not engage in behavior that could endanger his life and the life of others again, said an Interior Ministry statement.

"The notification was solely meant to warn the boy about possible outcomes for his safety, as well as to safeguard the overall safety of drivers and pedestrians."

Dance and drugs

Earlier this month police detained and freed Saudi pop star Abdallah al Shaharani after he used the dab dance move on stage.

The singer appeared in a video dancing at a music festival in the city of Taif in southwestern Saudi Arabia.

The National Committee for Drug Control banned the dance in the Kingdom, saying it advocated or encouraged drug abuse, according to Saudi media.

“Indecent clothing”

A Saudi girl last month stirred up a controversy after a video of her wearing a miniskirt and walking in public was widely shared on social media.

Saudi girl in a miniskirt /Screenshot from the viral video

She was arrested for wearing “indecent clothing” but released without charge.

The young woman was filmed at an archaeological site wearing a miniskirt and crop top.

In a series of short videos posted online, the woman was seen walking through an ancient fort with her long hair uncovered and her midriff exposed.

The videos led to a social media firestorm in Saudi Arabia, where the law prohibits most women from appearing in public without a long abaya and their hair covered by a headscarf.

She drew a mixed reaction on social media. Some users lashed out against her, saying she violated the tradition, while others said she was targeted for being a Saudi as a foreign woman would have been treated differently.

(With inputs from wires)