Job Discussion Forums

[sinemac]

Can women wear sandals,show their arms,are burkas always black,do shops sell hairdye,tampons etc?

[johnslat]

Dear sinemac,

1. Can women wear sandals - yes

2. show their arms - no

3. are burkas always black - it's not a "burka." Non-saudi women need to be covered (long-sleeves, long dresses), but the hijab (no veil) , while highly recommended, especially in Riyadh, isn't mandatory. Most non-Saudi women do, however, wear an abaya (black cloak) and a black scarf (covering your hair) when out in the streets.

4. do shops sell hairdye,tampons etc - yes

Regards,
John

[desultude]

John is right- it depends on where you live in the Kingdom.

Dress codes are more relaxed in the Eastern Province, and very few of my colleagues covered their hair. Many of us wore clothes that covered well, but not the black abaya. Some of us went for months without donning the black cloak of death.

On the other hand, we didn't travel in country because it would have meant covering with an abaya and probably a nikab (face cover). Certainly our heads would need to be covered.

I personally recieved no negative responses to the way I dressed. On the other hand, some younger women did if they did not cover their heads and wear an abaya. Also, some women, mostly from places like Aramco, wore bermudas and short sleeved tops, and even showed occasional cleavage. In my opinion, this is being rude and provocative, and unnecessary.

Like people who pull runners and have false degrees, people who dress immodestly cause problems for those who are professional are respectful.
On the other hand, you can sort out what is acceptable for where you are living and stay within the bounds of that, and probably not have to dress too insufferably. For young women, it is good to stay rather conservatively within those limits.