JEDDAH: A recent Ministry of Interior decision allowing Saudis to openly buy handguns and other personal firearms was applauded by some locals and denounced by others.

The ministry is also to license privately owned gun shops. Anyone over 25 with no criminal record and a bank guarantee of SR500,000 can apply to open a gun store, the ministry said on Saturday.

Lina Al-Ghamdi, a 38-year-old managing director of a private company in Jeddah, is already concerned about what could happen on next year’s Saudi National Day in light of the rampage on the streets of Dammam on this year’s National Day in September.

“We can’t even adhere to traffic regulations; how can we put guns in the hands of people who have no discipline?” said Al-Ghamdi. “What will happen on next year’s National Day?” A 25-year-old Saudi woman who works as a consultant in Riyadh said she understands that the ministry wants to control the illegal ownership of handguns. She, however, thinks licensing private shops is not the solution.

“It’s one thing to purchase guns for hunting, which people can already do, but it’s a completely different matter to own handguns for personal use. I don’t like it one bit,” she said.

Marwan Thabit, 27, is a business owner who welcomed the initiative saying this is good news for merchants and shop owners. “To have access to firearms especially for protection from robbers and trespassers will serve us good. Some areas and warehouses where there are huge amounts of cash need constant security,” said Thabit.

Abu Abdul Rahman, an office clerk in his 50s, said it is a positive sign that the law permits the owning of guns and that this will put an end to the smuggling of guns and rifles.

“I’ve been carrying lightweight hunting rifles with a permit for years. It’s sometimes hard to find shops that sell supplies. It’s good that the Ministry of Interior is licensing privately-owned gun shops,” he said.

Amani Saleh, a 28-year-old assistant director, said she was horrid when local newspapers reported the news. “The society is already suffering from terrorist attacks and now we give them access to weapons?” said Saleh.

— With input from Sultan Al-Tamimi