Saudi Arabia's sports authorities have suspended a women-only gym in Riyadh after a video published late last week showed a woman in tight workout clothes with her hair uncovered, dancing, and kicking a punching bag.
Authorities have suspended the license of the gym and the company has since terminated the employment of the female trainer in the video, The National reported.
"The gym had its license suspended over a deceitful video that circulated on social media promoting the gym disgracefully and breaching the kingdom’s code of conduct," the authority's chairman Turki Bin Abd Al Mohsen said in a statement, according to The National.
"The General Sports Authority asserts that it will put an end to such misdemeanors that deem offensive to society. All such irresponsible people will be under pursuit," Chairman Al Mohsen added.
The video was shot and uploaded online by Kuwaiti social media influencer and TV presenter Halima Boland.
The widely circulated video shows a woman, who Boland called "Tunisia's boxing champion" in tight pants and a tank top, without her hair covered, which many deemed as "indecent" and "against the kingdom's moral values."
Many were outraged over the clip and mainly targeted Boland, voicing their disapproval and anger on Twitter.
Tweeps were out of words
Some were happy with the news
"Much better. Let's have mixed gyms close as well."
"We don't want her (Boland) to come here anymore"
"May God protect us from evil"
While some tweeps attacked Boland personally
"I don't know how she (Boland) has the Kuwaiti nationality, she's thick and fake with tons of makeup."
Not everyone was upset though
"I don't see what's wrong with this. The gym has certainly been open for a long time, why close it now? Any girl can go to a gym and upload videos on Snapchat, does it mean you close down all gyms? Just punish the one who shot the video."
"Regressed people... there's nothing wrong with this"
Some suggested this idea
"That's nothing unusual. There are plenty of women-only gyms in Saudi Arabia with many trainers like the one in the video. It's just the marketing idea that was wrong and they picked the wrong person to do it."
"Why did they close it down? Aren't they open-minded now with their cinemas and theaters?"
Boland responds
In a tweet after the video went viral and hate comments followed, Boland responded by stating:
"I will officially file a lawsuit against all those who disrespect me and I have full faith in the judiciary of Saudi Arabia."
News websites reported Boland saying she was dressed in an abaya while at the women-only gym; she took the video based on the request of the gym's management.