Saudi Arabia bans tinted car windows

**the_wildthing** · October 19th, 2004 03:24 PM

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia banned tinted car windows Sunday in a move aimed at preventing militants escaping detection on the kingdom's roads.

An Interior Ministry statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency said drivers will have a maximum of a year to clear their windows -- except for one behind the driver's seat.

Many cars in the deeply conservative Muslim Gulf state have darkened windows to protect the privacy of passengers, particularly women. But officials say militants may have used tinted windows to avoid being spotted by security forces.

Sunday's decree specified that even remaining shaded passenger window must be 70 percent transparent.

Saudi Arabia has been battling a 17-month wave of violence by al Qaeda supporters who have bombed residential compounds housing foreigners, shot several Westerners on the streets and attacked state security forces.

De facto ruler Crown Prince Abdullah, who said in August the kingdom had defeated the militants, described them Sunday as "chickens with iron beaks."

Security forces arrested four suspected militants on Saturday in two separate raids in Riyadh and a village about 90 miles north-west of the capital. One of the suspects captured in Riyadh was lightly injured in an exchange of fire.

Officials said none of the men were on Saudi Arabia's list of most wanted militants.

Tama ba na nung Martial Law bawal ang tinted? I can't recall. Too young.

And public vehicles (cabs, buses) can't have full tints until now, is this right? Ano ba ang ruling?

Supposedly bawal din daw yung full tint sa harap, is this accurate?

**notEworthy27** · October 19th, 2004 03:38 PM

Dati pa bawal. All public utility vehicles including taxi cabs are not allowed to have tints. As for private vehicles, dark tints are not allowed especially front tints. I could still remember the time when the "mutawa" had us remove our SUV's tint kasi di daw makita yung nasa loob. I think we were on 50-60% na. And take note: on the spot pinatanggal. namula lahat kamay namin. Then in the end, ndi naman pala bawal. Hindi pala nagkaintindihan. Then nung nakausap di daw nakita na family... labo!!! my mom was in the front seat. SHESSHH! So ever since then, we never had tints ever again. Kahit na sobrang init na pag dating ng tanghali. just beefing out.

**pissword** · October 19th, 2004 05:18 PM

gusto ko maglagay ng tint sa harap yung magic tint ba... yung car kasi namin walang tint sa harap din, medyo delikado pag gabi, lagi lang ako mag isa nag dadrive...

yeapp matagal nang bawal ang tint sa mga PUVs

**Pajoz** · October 19th, 2004 05:26 PM

D2 sa UAE bawal din dati, but now they allow to put regardless 30% lang and 4 inches lang sa windshield.

**O!lman** · October 19th, 2004 05:53 PM

LAHAT naman dyan sa Saudi ay bawal! Yan ang maisusumpa mong lugar sa mundo!

**Kicker15** · October 19th, 2004 06:22 PM

oo nga daw ganyan sa saudi sabi ng daddy ko. yung mga shiek lang and mga sultan ang naka tint yung cars the rest clear lang... kaya ang init sa loob ng auto

**yebo** · October 19th, 2004 08:09 PM

e kaya po bawal sa saudi ang tint kasi ginagawang motel ng mga saudi teenagers ang cars nila hehehe! naalala ko nung nag-work pa ako dyan, yung isang syokol (sideline) namin na jordanian family yung 2 chiching na anak ang lalandi. lagi na lang sinusundo ng mga boypren nilang arabo at kinakaplog sa loob ng auto hehehehe!

sa pinas bawal ang puv na may tint at according to stats eh kalimitan ng mga hold ups/robberies nangyayari sa mga tinted na puv.

**av8or5** · October 19th, 2004 08:32 PM

OT: as of Oct 1, 2004, Saudi bans mobile phones w/built in camera. violators will be confronted and punished.

**qman** · October 19th, 2004 09:17 PM

Noon pa bawal sa Saudi ang tinted na sasakyan pero ang purpose lang noon eh dahil isip nila ma nagbaba#$*(#)*#) ang nasa loob kaya ayaw nila eh ngayon iba na ata ang purpose maiwasan ang terorismo.

Mas valid ang rason nila ngayon hehe