RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — The course of true love never did run smooth. While applicable the world over, Shakespeares words are particularly true in swiftly changing Saudi Arabia. Long forbidden, dating has arrived in the ultra-conservative Gulf kingdom with some Saudis meeting and marrying without the help of relatives.

Is dating allowed in Riyadh?

The first and most important thing that expats need to know is that Saudis do not date. Although the Kingdom is opening up in many ways – for example allowing music, movies, and theaters, which enables more public mixing than before – dating, sex, and romance remain taboo.

Is Tinder allowed in Riyadh?

Dont get me wrong: the Saudi subject on Tinder is not a revolutionary, but they are certainly a sexual being in a way that is not legally permissible in the Saudi Arabian public sphere. In this sense, Tinder is, at best, a creative site of individual sexual expression within the borders of the Wahhabist Kingdom.

Is tinder blocked in Saudi?

Turns out that singles in Saudi Arabia dont use Tinder or Badoo, which are currently the worlds two most popular dating apps. Instead, they log into WhosHere, the most popular meet-up app in both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.