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Saudi Arabia has strict codes of behavior, including dress mandates and bans on pork and nutmeg due to its potential for hallucinations and fatal poisoning. Photography of certain buildings is illegal, cinemas were banned for 35 years, and Valentine’s Day is not celebrated.
As a conservative Islamic country, Saudi Arabia is known for its strict adherence to certain codes of behavior, including well-known dress mandates and severe restrictions during the holy month of Ramadan. Food occupies a prominent place in the legal system. Pork, for example, is prohibited. And while that may not come as a surprise, Saudi Arabia’s blanket ban on common-cooking spiced nutmeg probably does. Nutmeg is considered an intoxicant because in very large doses, such as a spoonful or two, it can lead to hallucinations, as well as nausea and dizziness. According to the Journal of Medical Toxicology, nutmeg can even cause fatal myristicin poisoning. For these reasons, Saudi Arabia considers nutmeg a narcotic, and since all narcotics are illegal, nutmeg is not permitted anywhere in the country, except as a secondary ingredient in premixed spice mixes.
Be on your best behavior:
It is illegal to photograph palaces, government buildings and military installations in Saudi Arabia.
Cinemas have been banned in Saudi Arabia for 35 years; the government finally caved in April 2018, with the opening of an AMC cinema in Riyadh.
Valentine’s Day is not celebrated in Saudi Arabia, where concerns about being misled led the country to ban the sale of red roses and heart-shaped items on that day.
