SAUDI ARABIA: Starbucks Halts After Ban On Women At Riyadh Coffee Shop

Starbucks has lifted a temporary ban on women entering one of its coffee shops, following a public backlash and widespread media coverage of the incident.

Earlier this, week, the US brand banned women from a store in the Jarir district of the city after the Saudi religious police complained that there was not a wall to divide genders.

A sign written in Arabic and English was posted on the shop window, saying: “Please no entry to ladies. Send your driver to order. Thank you.”

A spokeswoman for Starbucks was reportedly told a local newspaper that the store was being renovated to accommodate single persons and families, in accordance with local customs and would be completed within two weeks.

The conservative Islamic kingdom has strict rules banning non-related men and women from spending time together and many restaurants and cafes have barriers to separate families and women from single men.

On Monday, in a statement to CNN, Starbucks confirmed that women were once again welcome at the Jarir coffee shop.

"Starbucks welcomes all customers, including women and families, to enjoy the Starbucks experience. We have worked with local authorities to obtain approval to refurbish one of our stores in Jarir, which was originally built without a gender wall. That meant it could only accommodate men in accordance with local law,” the statement read.

"This was the only such Starbucks store in Saudi Arabia. During construction, the store could only accommodate and serve single men, and a poster was placed at the store entrance as required by local law.

The statement went on: "We are pleased to share that the store is now accessible to single men on one side as well as women and families on the other side. Starbucks has now 78 stores in Saudi Arabia and all stores cater to both families and singles, except for one that is exclusively reserved for women and families."