Saudi men perform a traditional dance in the courtyard at the former execution site, which has been turned into a cultural showcase, titled "Riyadh's Pulse", in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 6, 2019. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri
RIYADH (Reuters) - For decades, criminals in Saudi Arabia were lined up after Friday prayers at a central Riyadh plaza and beheaded by sword in a gruesome public spectacle overseen by the religious police.
These days, families sipping designer coffee stroll through what foreigners call Chop-Chop Square, where the blood of the condemned once flowed. At night, diners drop 5,000 riyals (1,038.97 pounds) at an alcohol-free restaurant imported from Ibiza.
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