Moving to Riyadh - practical questions

Preoria wrote:

...I don't own an abaya. Should I have one on already at the airport?

Hi Preoria and welcome to Expat.com,

Just a word to tell you when I arrived in KSA back in 2000, I didn't have an abaya. I think, although Riyadh is more strict than Al Khobar, if you wear a long skirt with long sleeves and no "décolleté" or pants and a blouse with long sleeves, you won't have trouble.

For the rest of your questions, I'm sure there are many ladies here on the forum who will be able to respond to them. I never lived in Riyadh and left KSA in 2008!

Best of luck
Arlette

Thank you Arlette,

I guess I just have to make sure to be modest enough if I dare not to wear an abaya at the airport. I don't want any trouble and I want to show my appreciation of the culture I'm visiting.

A mental image of me doing sports wearing an abaya makes me laugh, though.

Preoria - Glad your going to be joining us here in Riyadh.  If I were you, I would try and find an abaya in your home area and have it with you when you land.  I purchased a very basic abaya in my home town of POrt Tobacco MD USA (and I love it still) and put it on when I was about to land here in KSA.  Believe me, you will feel better having it on going through customs, etc.,   I went on line to get mine, and just happened to stumble on a gal who sold them locally in the US.  If you would like, I can send you the link. 
As for living in the DQ.  From what Ive heard, its nice.  I don't know anything about the activities and what is appropriate to wear when working out - outside.  I will defer to others on the forum who have that knowledge.  However, I did go to the women's spa one day and the gals in the pool had shorts & tee shirts over their bathing suits!  I found that very odd! 
And few of us from the forum got together last weekend for dinner on the DQ and I was told the Abaya was optional...  In fact I noticed several western (looking) women who did not have one on... 
Let us know whey you get in to town!

Thanks CAF! That's very helpful.

I'm actually not from the States, so I'll have to find a web store that ships abayas overseas. There are SO many styles, though, and I have no idea how should it look like. Obviously I haven't seen a lot of pictures of Saudi women that wear their abayas. It should be solid black, right, with no embroideries? If I don't have to wear my abaya at work, I'm glad tunics are in fashion now, and it's easy to find those types of longer shirts in stores.

And what comes to swimming: wearing t-shirts and shorts over bathing suits is not that different from, like Utah for what I remember! Some mormon girls did that when I was there. I'm just glad I don't have to float around in my abaya looking like a giant, black jellyfish trapped in a pool.

Anyways, it's great to have this kind of community for support. Thanks again!

i really laughed reading your questions. but in a good way

I'll give other girls a chance to answer you before I try doing so. now I can tell Alliecat to prepare a special reception party.

but just a Hint. I like what Arlette said. you dont really HAVE to have an abaya when you land, whoever is getting you here should precure one and hand it to you when you step out of the terminal. and it aint that crucial to have one on your first day. unless you plan to grab a taxi. a long moderate skirt dress with long sleaves would do just fine, or what Arlette said:

if you wear a long skirt with long sleeves and no "décolleté" or pants and a blouse with long sleeves, you won't have trouble

so dont worry over it. youll be just fine.

Salman

i agree with Salman

Thanks guys. I guess humor is the only way to retain my sanity with all these gaps in my knowledge about the country.

Anyways, I'll probably trip on my abaya the minute I put it on and by accident will show a little more than what is appropriate. Now that would be my luck. And how do you cope with windy weather wearing an abaya, not wanting to show your ankles? Hmmm...

And still wondering about the jogging thing...

It's true, you are not expected to have an abaya in the airport but its better to have one when you exit the terminal because there will be quite a few taxi drivers trying to but your business.

you will not be able to go jogging in public. If you are going to a compound then you will be fine jogging in there.

Have fun

Preoria wrote:

And how do you cope with windy weather wearing an abaya, not wanting to show your ankles? Hmmm...

It happened to me once in downtown Khobar and I was shouted at by a Muttawa whom I had not noticed before (he was about 50 m ahead of me. Was shouting: "Cover up, you indecent woman!"

(I was wearing pants underneath my abaya and did not feel indecent at all, LOL!

So I ignored him, stepped in the first shop nearby and waited till he had gone!

I'm just glad I don't have to float around in my abaya looking like a giant, black jellyfish trapped in a pool.

  Actually, there are women who do go in the water with their abayas on!  Its very unusual indeed!

Here is the website that I was telling you about.  They maybe able to help you if you need an abaya and have it shipped.  Saudia is the owner and she is terrific.

islamic Outfitters

Okay, this will probably stun most of you (I know it stunned me)but there are older women who NEVER uncover their faces.  Their husbands and children have no idea what their faces look like.

A Saudi colleague told me about a woman relative who'd been married for 40 years and her husband had never seen her face

This isn't the norm, but it happens, it seems.

Alliecat wrote:

A Saudi colleague told me about a woman relative who'd been married for 40 years and her husband had never seen her face

This isn't the norm, but it happens, it seems.

thats a bullshit story! how cant a husband see the face?? well, if we believe he didnt, how does she have a child then?
even the women who strictly follow the covering thing, shows her face to her father, brother, husband and kids...your friends are trying to play around with u catty

habibi.. jaan....

time for a 'birds and bees' discussion:

People CAN have sex with their faces covered!  Or with the room  absolutely dark.

I didn't say this is the NORM.  But it DOES happen.

i still dont accept the fact that a husband doesnt see his wifes face!

Can you imagine? 

no CAF its not a true story...it cannot be done!! i dont want people to imagine too

I also heard stories like that when I was in KSA.

I even have stories truly reported by medical staff about couples who do not know how to make children and thus go for IVF!

And I always wondered how those small kids running around in the malls do recocknize their mothers amongst all those women completely covered in black! LOL

FeeAcer - When we went to the Janadriyadh Festival last month, we were standing near the front of the crowd watching the Sword dancers and there were hundreds of people who seemed to be constantly shifting.  All of a sudden, this guy comes from the back of the crowd and taps this gal on the shoulder and told her they had to leave.  HOW HE KNEW it was the right gal was amazing to me!   
And your point about the kids is also mind boggling!

Thanks, CAF for the website! Will definitely browse that when I have time.

And I'm guessing the key for kids to recognize their mom from all the other ladies dressed in black is their perfume! Saudis love perfumes, right? At least that's how I knew my mom - or then by the sound of her heels against the floor.

no...its the height, size and mainly the abhaya which helps in recognizing...there are many times men gets mistaken, dont know whether thats deliberate or not