Major Swiss companies like Swatch, Tissot and Victorinox have removed Switzerland’s cross-shaped flag from their products for the Saudi Arabian market. Swatch and Tissot both replaced the Swiss flag with the words “Swiss Made”. When shown the Swiss cross on some of the company material, staff working for these companies in Saudi Arabia even refused to describe it as a cross, insisting that it was a “plus sign” instead.
Victorinox, which sells the famous Swiss army knives, replaced the cross symbol on its product with a letter ‘V’. In the past, Victorinox had problems selling its products in Saudi Arabia: deliveries were blocked; cargo was seized at customs. It decided to switch to the ‘V’ symbol for an easier life. This has provoked complaints from some customers that the knives on sale in Saudi Arabia are not authentic because they lack the original cross logo.
Swatch justified its action claiming that “Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country. It does not allow the cross to be shown in public. ...We respect the laws of the countries we are active in.” Some members of the Saudi religious police were interviewed for a Swiss television programme, however, and said they weren’t bothered by the Swiss cross symbols at all and were mystified about why Swatch was doing this.