King Salman from Saudi Arabia, on holiday on the French Riviera, did not wish to have women present in his security team on the beach. A female police officer was asked to leave and reportedly was put on car parking duties instead. The reason given was that her presence was incompatible with Islamic values. One could dismiss this story as part of the summer ‘silly season’ of media reporting, yet it has a more disturbing meaning, illustrative of how cultural and religious beliefs act to prevent women from having equal and valuable roles within many spheres of life, including the security sector.