Those of you following me on Instagram or Facebook will have seen that I just got back from a work trip to Saudi Arabia.
What to wear as a woman in Saudi Arabia
Before I went I researched a lot about what to wear and expect but found very little information. So this is an educational post to spread information for future women travelers.
Me and my colleague rocking our abaya’s – the way they flow is quite elegant!
The abaya
The abaya is the one thing you definitely need on any trip to Saudi.
An abaya is a long usually black (more on that later) cloak that covers from neck to floor. The law (!) in KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) is that all women need to wear these in public. If you are Muslim you need to cover your head, but if you’re not then you don’t *need* to but it’s advised to have a head scarf handy.
Selfie in the airport lounge – you can see my neck (and hands) – but that’s it.
The strictness of the country differs on where you are. The capital Riyadh is the strictest place – you’ll need your abaya on on the plane before you land, and the religious police there have been known to harass westerners who are showing hair…. (Hence the headscarf requirement). I think the reason that Saudi is so strict on this and other Islamic issues is that the King is the custodian of the most revered site in Islam = Mecca.
Other Muslim clothing
A lot of Saudi women go further than just covering their heads with the hijab (headscarf) and are veiled with a niqab covering their faces so just the eyes are visible. The most extreme I saw was the burka – where a lady has material literally over her face. For me the images of blue burqas from Afghanistan come to mind, but in Saudi these were black (thought to be more modest, however possibly the biggest marketing ploy by someone with excess black material in stock?! Believe what you will…)
Photo credit: LavenderJean at http://cloudmind.info/hijab-niqab-and-burka-faq/
However where we were staying in Dharhan on the north coast, it’s a bit more relaxed and I was able to get though the airport without my abaya on. To be fair I was wearing a blanket like poncho and modest clothing (loose trousers and a dress over the top – think form skimming, aka shapeless and you get the idea!
How do I look?
In my abaya in the business class lounge at Dammam airport. I did put the abaya on to exit the airport and for all times in public, either walking outside the hotel or getting taxis.
What to wear in the office
I didn’t need to wear an abaya at the client offices or inside the hotel, but I still wore modest clothes. We were lucky though – our client is quite liberal and wearing trouser suits or even a dress (!) was fine (my colleagues and I all stuck to trousers though).
Office selfie – here I’m wearing a long sleeved high necked dress from Primark over loose trousers. In general modest dress in Muslim countries should cover your arms past the elbow, with no cleavage and be long enough to cover your bum.
Wearing the same combo with loose long cardigan over the top (air con is cold!) at dinner in the hotel restaurant – no that’s not real beer! Saudi is a completely dry country, but you can get fake, aka non alcoholic beer, aka placebo effect! Moussy was the best beer (don’t go anywhere near the Budweiser – it’s disgusting!)
I’ve heard that Jeddah on the south coast is also more relaxed with colourful abayas worn open (some have zips up the front, so it’s like leaving your coat open).
Top tip – get your abaya before you fly in!
Where to get your abaya
The internet is good for this if you have time, we got ours from Lebaas after some googling. Otherwise head to your nearest mosque as they should be able to sort you out or point you to a shop nearby. Of course you’ll probably get better choice in Saudi. My abaya cost £20 plus delivery, but was too long. I was ok when wearing heels but it was a trip hazard in flats! It also didn’t have the zip up the front which makes it easier to get in and out of without leaving makeup around the neckline 😖
Another selfie (I know I’m sorry!) when we went on a walk out on the Corniche outside the hotel. Our male colleague came with us to get ice cream, and us girls wore our trusty abayas – we ended up looking like his two wifes! (ps it is pretty windy out in KSA and I think showing shoulder like this would be frowned on in other areas…)
Other etiquette
Where we stayed in Al Khobar I think it would be OK for women to walk around without a male, but it made us feel more comfortable to have my male colleague there. We all shared taxis to and from the client site together, however in Riyadh this would not be possible. A colleague from the Riyadh office told me that if he went to a meeting with a female colleague they needed to get separate taxis and remember women can’t drive at all over here…
In our hotel Le Meridien Al Khobar, there was a separate gym for the ladies (a quarter size of the men’s!) with sauna and steam room, a pool (completely off limits to women as it was outside, overlooked and effectively public!) tennis and squash courts that I never tried to get on, but may have been off limits to us also.
Luckily we were kept very busy with work the whole time we were out there, so I didn’t really feel the restrictions and it was an interesting experience and a great opportunity to visit somewhere I would never get to without that work visa. I may yet be out there again soon!
I did manage a weekend in Dubai visiting friends, where you could definitely feel the difference when it came to dressing. Read more about how to dress in Dubai on Arzo Travel’s post on the subject: How to Dress as Women in Dubai.
Marie Dring says
Interesting article – I hate to think women are forced to cover themselves!
Katie Hughes says
Thanks for your comment Marie, I think this is something common with the orthodox or extreme of any religion (I'm thinking Judaism and Christianity both requiring women to be covered up and to have their head covered) and as a visitor it gave me a sense of comfort to not have men ogling my body (I know they shouldn't do that in the first place!) I get enough ogling by being a blondie when travelling!
Amish Lamichhane says
Not to same culture in the worlds, so very nice article
Ryan Biddulph says
Hi Katie,
Good to know! For my wife LOL. We’ve wondered how to dress in Saudi culture. Just be ready for da heat! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Ryan
Katie Hughes says
There’s loads of air con out there, so it shouldn’t be an issue Ryan, glad to help!
Aleksandra says
Nice to know you got ready and dressed according to the local traditions. I am sure your trip was something to remember.glad you did
Katie Hughes says
Thanks Aleksandra
Annette Duvdevani says
Great tips!
Richa says
I would have thought everyone needed to cover their head in Saudi.. thanks for sharing the insight! Interesting to see how lifestyles are different in different parts of the world 🙂
Katie Hughes says
Oh definitely Richa
Toni says
Great advice Katie. I am yet to travel over this way so havent had to think about it yet, but good to know all this before i plan a trip and Thanks for the tips!
Katie Hughes says
It’s so tricky to know what to wear in this region – so happy share the information Toni!
Diana says
This post is very informative. I had no idea that it has against the law to not be covered or that you would have issues at the airport if not covered. This is great advice for anyone thinking of travelling there.
Katie Hughes says
Thanks Diana – it’s a very strict county
M P says
This is very helpful for when we head that way- thank you!
Katie Hughes says
I hope you find it helpful!
Su Chanprasong says
It is always good to know these things when travelling. I was once not allowed in a church as I had my upper arms on show.
Katie Hughes says
Exactly – it’s good to know so you can be respectful too Su
Cherene Saradar says
Really interesting and informative. I’ve always wondered what westerners wear there.
Katie Hughes says
Well the good thing is you can wear *anything* under an abaya and no one will know Cherene! 😂
Rose C. says
Hi Katie,
Thank you for this article, very helpful.
What about the shoes? Can you wear sandals or por other color shoes besides black??
Katie Hughes says
Hi Rose! From what I saw in Dammam sandals are definitely fine – I can’t recall bright colours but decorated for sure! They like a lot of bling over there! If you are headed to the capital Riyadh then I would stick to more conservative shoes, but generally Jeddah and Dammam are more laid back – with plenty of sequins and decoration on the abayas also.
Rose C. says
Thanks for the info! That was fast!
We probably go to Dahaman and then Al Jubail. Does the abaya need to cover your feet? I have one but it’ doesn’t cover my feet.
Rose C. says
Sorry !! Dammam
Katie Hughes says
It should be ankle length – ie when you are standing all you can see is your feet, not any ankle or leg