The Saudi religious police detained the two young men for indulging in exotic practices and offending public order.
The free hugs movement aims to "brighten up" people's lives by offering strangers hugs.
A young Saudi man, Bandr al-Swed, posted a video of himself offering hugs to male strangers on YouTube, where it has received nearly 1.5m views.
"After seeing the Free Hugs Campaign in many different countries, I decided to do it in my own country," Mr Swed told al-Arabiya news [sic].
"I liked the idea and thought it could bring happiness to Saudi Arabia."
Britain's Independent newspaper reports that his video inspired two more young Saudis, Abdulrahman al-Khayyal and a friend.
They offered hugs, advertised on a placard, in one of Riyadh's main shopping streets. » | Thursday, November 21, 2013
