The Old Ways Die Hard – Though Perhaps Not as Frequently Following the Ban

Saudi Gazette marks the passing of a venerable tradition – celebratory machine gun fire at weddings.

"The north Najrani tribe of Al-Al-Qashaneen has imposed the ruling on all its members to stop machine gun fire at weddings in efforts to reduce the number of injuries and deaths at otherwise happy occasions. The tribe's sheikhs are to ensure that signs are put up at the relevant spots to ensure that guests also refrain from unloading their weapons above the heads of wedding crowds. Fines, a tribal member said, would go to a special tribal fund which provides assistance to needy tribal members in, for example, providing hospitality to guests or funeral expenses."

The fine for infractions of the rule is SR5,000 (US$1,333.33).