A pilot was forced to turn his aircraft around and abandon take-off after a passenger on board a flight destined for Riyadh refused to put on his seat-belt. The passenger had also demanded that the air steward oblige a fellow passenger to cover her hair and bring a “mehram”, a male relative to accompany her, as she was traveling alone. The passenger was reported as declaring, that “cleansing the plane of Shariah violations is more important than wearing seat belts”, and that “in any case, safety is in the hands of God”. Security officers requested that the passenger disembark from the aircraft, considering him a risk to the flight. The man, who said he was not used to putting on his seat belt until the pilot's final call, was referred to airport authorities.
