There are certain neighbourhoods in every city where the residents hang their washing out the window to dry. However, Kuwait is trying to get rid of this practice by fining those who do.

If you live in an apartment building in Kuwait, you’ll be fined $995 for hanging your washing out to dry.

This is part of a new campaign which tackles health and safety, launched by the municipal authorities.

The campaign falls in line with Article 4 of the regulations governing hygiene.

“The team has started its campaign by raising awareness and warning residents against breaking the rules based on a ministerial decision issued in 2008. So far, 12 apartments have been warned that they would have to pay fines if they insisted on drying their laundry out on balconies,” Zaid Al Enezi, head of the team, said, quoted by Kuwaiti daily Al Qabas on Monday.

The Gulf state is planning on carrying out similar campaigns in the future, in collaboration with the Environment Public Authority (EPA), Al Enezi said.

The EPA is in charge of “visual pollution.”

Meanwhile in Bahrain, some residents share the same sentiments towards public-laundry-hanging as the Kuwaiti authorities.

Those residents have argued that hanging lingerie and underwear in public is “provocative, disrespectful and embarrassing.”

This has prompted the island-country to introduce a ban like the one in Kuwait in July.