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Saudi Arabia has asked florists and gift shops to remove all red items until after Valentine's Day, calling the celebration of such a holiday a sin, as it encourages immoral relations between unmarried men and women. Religious police are banning the sale of any gifts related to the romantic holiday, driving up black market prices for offerings like the ever-popular red rose.
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Every year, the Muslim kingdom's Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice clamp down on shops a few days before February 14, instructing them to remove red roses, red wrapping paper, gift boxes and teddy bears. On the eve of the holiday, they raid stores and seize symbols of love.
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"Because of the ban on red roses, a black market has flowered ahead of Valentine's Day. Roses that normally go for five Saudi riyal (RM4.50) fetch up to 30 riyal (RM28) on February 14. We deliver the bouquets in the middle of the night or early morning, to avoid suspicion," one florist said.
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