Skin lightening in the Middle East

Skin lightening is a common practice in several Middle Eastern countries, particularly among women.Palestinian scholar Sonia Nimr has stated that the preference for lighter skin can be found in old Arabic and pre-Islamic poetry, stating:[4] For centuries there’s been an image that if you’re pale or whiter, it means you’re a lady.A 2019 study conducted among 760 Saudi female students found that 56.2% of the participants had used skin lightening products at some point in their lives.An investigation by a correspondent from The Christian Science Monitor conducted in the Palestinian city of Ramallah found that Lebanese singers with European features, including Haifa Wehbe and Nancy Ajram are widely considered beauty icons.[4] Furthermore, Sudanese-born writer Nesrine Malik stated[4] Lebanese standards of beauty and complexion have taken the Arab world by storm since the resurgence of the Lebanese in media ... further limiting the accepted definition of beauty as light-skinned, catty-eyed and slim-nosed.