Dubai: A famous Indian restaurant in Adliya, a bohemian neighbourhood in Manama, Bahrain, has been closed by authorities after a woman wearing hijab was allegedly prevented from entering the facility, making it the first of its kind in the Gulf country, local media reported.
Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BTEA) said it has launched an investigation into the incident, which hogged the limelight after a video showing one of the staff blocking a veiled woman from entering the facility went viral on all social media platforms, where users expressed their anger at this behaviour.
In the video, the girl is head saying that she went with her friend to the restaurant but was surprised that her friend was not allowed to enter because she was wearing hijab.
The ministry has asked all tourism outlets to comply with regulations and avoid enforcing policies that violate the laws of the Kingdom.
“We reject all actions that discriminate against people, especially regarding their national identity,” the ministry said, adding that the closure has been taken adhering to Decree Law No 15 of 1986, which regulates the tourism outlets including restaurants and hotels.
The ministry added that it is pursuing legal actions, calling on the public to report such incidents to the authority through National Complaints and Suggestion system Tawasul or by calling the Consumer Protection Centre on 17007003.
Meanwhile, in a statement posted on social media, the restaurant management apologised for the "mistake" committed by one of the staff, which brought disgrace to the organisation. “We have suspended the duty manager based on our investigation,” the restaurant said.
“We have been serving our customers from all nationalities living in this beautiful Kingdom for over 35 years now. Ours is a place for everyone to come and enjoy with their families and feel at home.
“In this instance, a mistake has been made by a manager who has been suspended and this doesn’t represent who we are,” the restaurant said.
