Female students in Saudi university banned from wearing trousers

The Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University for women in Saudi Arabia has banned students at the school of arts and design from wearing trousers, urging them to abide by the campus dress code.

The statement was issued by the dean of the school of arts and design, for reasons unstated by al-Hayat newspaper.

The dress code bans students from wearing skirts made out of mesh, or see through materials and they must be in black or gray. They are free to choose the color of their shirt, but it should not be revealing or transparent. Violators will be disciplined by marking them absent even if they attend classes.

In a previous statement, King Abdulaziz University announced that it was not against women wearing trousers, but that trousers had to be designed in a way that is modest consistent with the “public taste.”

Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University was established in 1970 as the Riyadh University for Women. It is the largest women-only university in the world with more than 50,000 students.

In 2008 the university was renamed after Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman, the sister of King Abdulaziz.