Tekken 7: New Character Shaheen Hails From Saudi Arabia, Looks Curiously Familiar

Tekken head Katsuhiro Harada has shared art of the latest character to join the roster of Tekken 7.

Shaheen hails from Saudi Arabia, and prominently wears the traditional Saudi headdress, the keffiyeh, alongside what appear to be a modified thawb and bisht. The thawb, the main long sleeved garment Saudis wear, has been trimmed at the bottom into a more practical shirt, and decorated with gold trim. The bisht is even more unrealistic, cut into a wing-like pattern and also decorated with gold trim, and held together by a giant pin.

As some fans have pointed out, Shaheen bears more than a passing resemblance to Omar Borkan Al Gala, a Dubai model/poet/photographer who went viral two years ago over being banned from visiting Saudi Arabia. Check out his picture below and decide for yourself.

This is part of Harada’s push to broaden Tekken’s appeal to a wider audience, and he promises even more new characters in the future.