Economics

Saudi Arabia Is Quietly Letting Valentine’s Day Happen

Authorities are looking the other way as businesses sell roses and lingerie.

Valentine’s Day merchandise at a florist’s shop in Al-Khobar.
Photographer: Tasneem Alsultan for Bloomberg Businessweek

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By Donna Abu-Nasr

February 14, 2019 at 5:01 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

This article is part of the February 18, 2019 issue of businessweek.

The mood at the florist’s was as vibrant as the colors. Fake red roses, amaryllis, and peonies were displayed in the window with natural ones waiting in an acclimatized room. There were red paper hearts on sticks with “I LOVE YOU” spelled in white. Valentine’s Day had arrived.

What was more conspicuous at the storefront on a busy street in central Riyadh, though, was what was missing: fear.