( CNN ) -- The flashing of flesh in several Gulf states may just have got a little harder after efforts were launched to ban bikinis and get visitors to cover up . In Qatar , a campaign using posters and social media is encouraging expats to wear modest clothing in public , while in Kuwait , lawmakers have reportedly called for some swimwear to be outlawed . Brochures distributed by the `` Reflect Your Respect '' campaign tell expats : `` If you 're in Qatar you 're one of us . Help us preserve Qatar 's culture and values , please dress modestly in public places by covering from shoulders to knees . '' Posters identify as inappropriate sleeveless dresses , exposed midriffs , tank tops on men and women and skirts or shorts above the knee . Women are notified that `` leggings are not pants . '' The campaign has taken to Twitter and Instagram to drive home its message and also reportedly intends to dispatch female volunteers to hand out leaflets in public . The campaign 's organizers were not immediately available for comment . Breach of morality . Clothing advice is nothing new in Qatar . Its tourism authority advises on its website that `` men and women should dress modestly as a courtesy to both Qataris and Muslims ... Tops should cover the shoulders and upper arms , and skirts or shorts should fall to or below the knee . '' The new campaign points out that anyone residing or visiting the country is subjected to Qatari laws that are widely considered to prohibit immodest attire as a breach of morality . Most Qataris dress conservatively according to Islamic custom . Women wear flowing black robes called abayas while men wear white robes called thawbs . However , Qataris account for a small proportion of the population -- approximately 85 % of the country 's two million residents are expats . Attempts to implement a strict dress code could impact on visitors as Qatar gears up to host the 2022 World Cup . Reaction on social media was mixed . `` Appreciate the dress code campaign by @ reflect_respect as being done respectfully and tastefully and for both genders , '' said a tweet by Fadi El Hage . `` Respect is through actions not what you wear , '' tweeted Sindhu Nair . Bathers targeted . Motte Christian 's reaction was more tongue-in-cheek , tweeting `` I 'm looking forward to see footballer wearing pants during football world cup 2022 . '' All the Gulf countries , which are socially conservative and have large expatriate populations , advise foreigners to dress modestly although it is rarely enshrined in law . Saudi Arabia is the only Arab country that requires women to wear abayas and cover their hair in public . Last year the United Arab Emirates witnessed a similar social media campaign to encourage visitors to dress modestly . Meanwhile , in Kuwait , officials are reportedly seeking to target bathers . A committee dealing with `` tackling bad social behavior '' has approved a proposal to ban `` nudity '' of women at all swimming pools , public places and in hotels , according to the English-language Kuwait Times . Hamdan Al-Azemi , an Islamist lawmaker who heads the committee , did not specify what was meant by `` nudity '' but the newspaper reports that the term includes wearing bikinis and `` revealing or improper dress . '' The proposal needs to be approved by parliament and ratified by the Kuwaiti government before being enshrined into law . Are these shorts too short ? Foreigners told to cover up in UAE .
Social media and poster campaigns in Qatar urges expats to wear modest attire in public . Brochures distributed by ` ` Reflect Your Respect '' says everything from shoulders to hair should be covered . Shorts for men are seen as fine , but women should avoid skirts , the campaign says . In Kuwait , lawmakers have reportedly set their sights on outlawing the practice .