Job Discussion Forums

jjdoll42 · Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 5

Dear All,

Curious of what is new with PMU for 2009. Worked there in 2006-2008 while it was a start-up. As far as English and standards go, they were starting the IELTS. I now work in the UAE and preside over a fully-IELTS curriculum that is actually quite a good thing.

One works a lot more in UAE than in Saudi. I remember the coffee huts, the relaxed atmosphere, but yikes - the dangerous driving. I miss Aramco friends too.

The Oryx was nice - roomy, but theft was a problem. Still, overall, the lessons of Saudi were good.

Curious of what has been new this year. See any of the PMU-ers at TESOL Arabia in March. Recruiting for Khalifa University.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I attended one of your presentatıons. At KSAALT Conference. You were ın fancy dress.

Do you stıll go around ın a thobe ? I understood that to be a criminal offence for non-GCC-citizens in the UAE.

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 7:42 am Post subject:

They're not "thobe"s here Scot...they're "Dish-Dasha"s. Completely different animals. Very Happy

NCTBA

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

When İ saw hım he was wearing a thobe.

mouse5 · Joined: 11 Jan 2006 Posts: 142

Scot's right. Saudis call 'em a thobe & gutra here mate.

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 8:39 am Post subject:

Aiwa, here they're called Dish-dasha and ghutra. To-may-toe...To-Ma-toe...mate. Very Happy

NCTBA

Mia Xanthi · Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 9:35 am Post subject:

It is my understanding also that it is against the law in the UAE to wear "national dress" if you are not a UAE national. I never knew anyone to do it. I also wonder if that makes it illegal for a non-Emirati woman to wear an abaya in the UAE Wink

007 · Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 10:14 am Post subject:

Cleopatra · Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 11:02 am Post subject:

As far as I know, it is not illegal for foreigners to wear 'national dress' in any of the Gulf states. However, it can be considered inappropriate for men - especially non-Muslims - to don the thobe and ghutra, as it may be felt that they are mocking the locals' dress style. I think also that, particularly in the postage stamp sized sheikhdoms where foreigners outnumber locals 4 or 5 to 1, the national dress is seen as a badge of identity, so it is not appreciated when foreigners appropriate it.

I also understand that the situation for women in rather different. Even outside KSA, where the abaya is de facto obligatory for all women, regardless of nationality, wearing the abaya is seen as a sign of 'modesty', at least for Muslim women. For this reason, foreign women wearing the abaya does not appear to have the same implications as wearing the national dress might for foreign men.

Asda · Joined: 01 Jun 2008 Posts: 231

In classical Arabic, thobe refers to any full length garment that is worn from the shoulders down. Now, Saudi and Qatari thobes are by and large similar, in that they have a stiff, raised dog collar (wing collars optional). The front and back of the Saudi ones are joined by a tapered bit of cloth where the side pocket is. Qatari ones are just two bits of cloth joined at the sides.

Emirati thobes have no stiff collar and have a curved pattern that starts from the shoulders and goes to where the buttons are. There is also an optional brushtail type thing worn at the top button. One school of thought says that it's to dip perfume into and another says historically it was to shoo away flies!

The ghutra is the light white cloth with no embroidery, rather like a net curtain. The shomagh is the ghutra but with embroidery that's usually red or white. The black ring is called the igaal.

I don't the special name for the Omani style rag, which is a fairly thick cream coloured cloth with a pattern on the border (usually blue). The Yemeni headgear looks more like a stiff cap integrated with some white and orange embroidered cloth.

As for wearing the garb in the K of SA, they generally welcome it saying things like: "Masha Allah beautiful wallah! You are like Soodi...!!" - can't forget the odd "Thanks God!" either... Laughing

Just my 25 halalas worth...

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 12:06 pm Post subject:

Well put, Asda. I would also agree with Cleo here. I don't think that there are any laws that apply to donning the garb. It may strike some that you may be making fun of the national dress...but they would be the narrow-minded few (outside of Saudi). I've know of many "reverted" Americans (based on their sound system, heck, the coulda been Canadians for all I care!) wearing the national dress in the UAE. I didn't think anything of it and neither did they..whatever floats yer boat...

NCTBA

matthew156 · Joined: 30 Jan 2009 Posts: 140 Location: The Majik Kindom

As Obama says "Iowa, Ottawa whatever"

Shocked

Matt

trapezius · Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 2:27 pm Post subject:

People, just because some non-Saudis wear the national dress does not mean that there is no law against it. I mean, there are laws against smoking in closed public places and laws against littering, but have you EVER heard or read that someone got punished for smoking or littering? Everybody does it.

I do not know the situation now, but I do know for a fact that about 15 years ago it was against the law for non-citizen men to wear the full national dress, i.e., the thobe with the full head gear (both pieces). I don't know if that law is still there or not, but it seems to be one of those non-sensical laws that is not enforced.

However, I must say that I have never known any non-Saudi to wear the full dress. Thobes are worn commonly by people of many nationalities in Saudi, even many non-Arabs. And you will even find the thobe with the headgear without the ring. But never with the iqaal (ring). Maybe the iqaal is what makes one a Saudi...?!

P.S. Forgot to say... Epic Derailment of Thread Exclamation

cmp45 · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 1475 Location: KSA

A while back during the spate of terrorist attacks in Riyadh and all the hype that surrounded that period, the dean of our college at that time stated that any non-Muslim who felt they wanted to wear the thobe to blend in were welcome to do so...well...one day this Canadian (no longer here) came to work wearing a thobe...it was an old dirty second hand one which looked quite ridiculous on him. Most westerners in my view can not pull off the style with much dignity.

He was a bit of an odd ball at any rate...also very paranoid to say the least. I mean we were all on edge at that time, but most westerners never went so far as to wear the thobe. I supose if it made him feel better...go figure. Rolling Eyes

johnslat · Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 3:26 pm Post subject: A Dress the Issue

Dear trapezius,

I've known non-Saudi reverts (five that I can recall) to wear full Saudi gear, and in all those cases, it was in the early through the late 90s (thus encompassing the fifteen years ago you mentioned.) None of them ever got into any trouble for doing so (but there were some snide, behind-the-back comments by a few "non-revert" colleagues.)
Regards,
John