KHOBAR:Dog owners in Saudi Arabia can now enjoy a cup of coffee alongside their beloved pets at a new cafe, a first for the ultra-conservative kingdom.<br /> <br /> <br /> In Islam, dogs are considered unclean animals unlike cats  and are generally banned from public places in Saudi Arabia.<br /> <br /> But The Barking Lot, which opened its doors in June in the coastal city of Khobar, has delighted animal lovers in a country where there are few places to take pets outside the home.<br /> <br /> The country's once-notorious religious police used to ban the walking of pets, saying men were using it as a means to make passes at women.<br /> <br /> But the ban was widely flouted and pets are becoming an increasingly common sight.<br /> <br /> Animal shelters have sprung up in several cities.<br /> <br /> The adoption of strays has become more popular in the rapidly modernising kingdom, which has undergone sweeping changes as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's "Vision 2030" plan.<br /> <br /> The Barking Lot's Kuwaiti owner, Dalal Ahmed, said she got the idea during a previous visit to the kingdom.<br /> <br /> "I came to Saudi Arabia for a visit with my dog, but wasn't allowed to walk on the beach with him," she told AFP.<br /> <br /> "I was very sad and decided to help by opening a coffee shop for people who have dogs and even for those who do not."<br /> <br /> Young men and women gather at the cafe with dogs of all sizes.<br /> <br /> Some pets playfully romp around, while others sit on their owners' laps, or wait patiently at the counter as their guardians order drinks.<br /> <br /> In one section, dogs are treated to washes and blow dries as part of the grooming services offered.<br /> <br /> "The idea of this cafe is very new," said Johara, a Saudi citizen. "It's a distinct place where dogs can come and meet other dogs."<br /> <br /> For Nawaf, also from Saudi Arabia, it was the first time visiting the cafe, which he described as "beautiful".<br /> <br /> "I came here to play with the dogs, which now have a cafe for themselves for the first time in Saudi Arabia," he said.