A Bahraini municipal councilman has criticised what he called “improperly dressed” gatherings of foreigners in a coastal area in the conservative country and urged action to promote good behaviour in public.

“In the recent period, gatherings of some improperly dressed foreigners have been seen in the evening on the eastern side of the Salman town’s coast, in addition to some patterns of behaviour violating customs and traditions of the country,” Mohammed Al Dusari, a member of the municipal council in the Northern Governorate, added.

He proposed posting signs urging men and women to be “decently dressed” and avoiding acts seen as violating public morals, the Bahraini newspaper Akhbar Al Khaleej reported.

“The aim of these signs is to oblige foreigners and expatriates going to the coast to observe decent dressing and good conduct rules, especially at night,” he added.

Foreigners make up more than half of Bahrain’s total population of 1.7 million.