RIYADH, Jan 20: Saudi Arabia's grand mufti and its highest religious authority on Tuesday issued a scathing condemnation of Saudi women who showed up unveiled at an economic forum in Jeddah and mixed with men , a body blow to plans for reform in the kingdom.

"We followed up what happened at the Jeddah Economic Forum and which should be denounced ... namely, the mixing of men and women and the latter's appearance without wearing the Islamic hijab ordered by God," Sheikh Abdul Aziz al Sheikh said.

"This is prohibited. (Moreover), newspapers published their pictures in this state which violates Shariat," he said in a statement carried by the official SPA news agency.-AFP