Job Discussion Forums

Cleopatra · Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 10:08 am Post subject:

It may or may not be actually illegal, but it is just 'not done' for women to smoke in public in KSA. I'm told a fair few do smoke in private, but it is not necessarily considered respectable behaviour. As another poster said, sheesha is rather different, and many Saudi women openly admit to enjoying this. Again, however, this is usually done in private gatherings - only in 'liberal' Jeddah will you find public sheesha dens for ladies.

Housie · Joined: 06 May 2007 Posts: 10

Thanks for all the great info. Luckily my wife doesnt smoke so there will be no issues with her smoking in public or burning off her chadour. I am still interested in the amount of cigarettes I can bring in. They are dirt cheap here in Indonesia and so a great saving could be made. Any ideas greatly appreciated.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Just a note... I don't believe that they use the term 'chador' in the Gulf outside of Iran.

VS

wailing_imam · Joined: 31 Mar 2006 Posts: 580 Location: Malaya

Women in China love a good smoke, esp the young ones

Housie · Joined: 06 May 2007 Posts: 10

I am sorry, chadour is what they use in Indonesia for a face covering, what is the correct term for that in KSA? Very naive on these things.

Longton · Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 148

I would suggest you bring in 5 cartons (1000 cigs). Given that cigs are relatively cheap in KSA I don't think it's worth the hassle trying to bring in more and then finding you have some problems at customs.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

They call it a 'veil' !

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

No Scot... that is what we call it. Laughing

Each country in the Gulf tends to have different names and I'm not sure of Saudi. Then there are different types of facial veils. The one-piece with the slit for the eyes is called a niqab. Some just drop a scarf over the full face... in the Emirates they call that a 'shayla' but Saudi has a different name.

If Cleopatra drops in during her travels, she knows the answer.

VS

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

If you want a local Arabic word for it then 'hijab' but in ENGLISH it is VEIL !

Bob Gorn · Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 9:28 pm Post subject:

The word "veil" is misleading, Scot. First, it is used in English to refer to both the hijab and the niqab. It is also associated with nuns, which leads people to think that anyone wearing one (a veil) has made a commitment to God to abstain from sex. IMHO, the word "hijab" is much less confusing, and allows one to distinguish it from the niqab. There is a web site called Muhajibbah that explains all of the distinctions in Muslim women's clothing.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Aha. From the tone of Mr Gorn I think we can infer that he has 'turned Turk' !

Cleopatra · Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 11:07 am Post subject:

FYI the full face veil with a slit for the eyes is indeed known as the niqabb, as VS said. A slight variation, with a string running down the middle of the slit and with slightly larger eye openings is called a burga. The tarha, which many women, especially the younger ones, throw over their faces as a kind of face cover, is called a tarha in KSA.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

I find the term 'burga' or 'burka' to be the most confusing because it changes by country. In Afghanistan it is the enveloping gown where one has to peer though a grate. In Oman/UAE, it refers to the hard facial mask - of varying size by tribe - that is put on by the women when they marry.

The term that seems to be shared by the most of them is 'abaya' for the black body covering.

VS

Bob Gorn · Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 4:24 pm Post subject:

Haven't turned Turk, Mr. Scot. Just writing so that She Who Must Be Obeyed will not be offended. (I meant my wife, not Cleopatra!) Rolling Eyes

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Whenever I hear or see the word 'burqa' I am reminded of that old Eighth Army song from the 1940's

"There is a street in Cairo full of sin and shame
And Shara Wag El-Burqa is the #@#@#@#'s name."

Since this is a mixed website I will now cease my reminiscences in the interest of common decency.