The authorities in Saudi Arabia are investigating a young woman who posted a video of herself wearing a miniskirt and crop-top in public.
The woman, a model called “Khulood”, shared the clip of her walking around a historic fort in Ushayqir.
The footage sparked a heated debate on social media, with some calling for her arrest for breaking the conservative Muslim country’s strict dress code.
Other Saudis came to the woman’s defense, praising her “bravery”.
Women in Saudi Arabia must wear loose-fitting, full-length robes known as “abayas” in public, as well as a headscarf.
They are also banned from driving and are separated from unrelated men.
In the video initially shared on Snapchat over the weekend, Khulood is seen walking along an empty street in a fort at Ushayqir Heritage Village, about 155km (96 miles) north of the capital Riyadh, in Najd province.
Najd is one of the most conservative regions in Saudi Arabia. It was where the founder of Wahhabism – the austere form of Sunni Islam that is practised by the Saudi royal family and religious establishment – was born in the late 18th Century.
The video was quickly picked up by Saudis on Twitter, where opinion was divided between those who believe Khulood should be punished and others who insisted she should be allowed to wear what she wanted.
