What Not to do in Saudi

Hi Nina!

and welcome aboard. just to add a little more value here's a thread you might find interesting.


Chears,

Salman

First and foremost, DONT GRIPE......

Nina_01 wrote:

I thought it would be nice to start this thread on what NOT to do in saudi, since there is a lot on what to do and so on.
Anyway, my recommendation of the day would be: (For Women)
Try not to be overly friendly to a shop employee. Usually they take the idea of you being friendly to be something else. They have the custom of being extremists in this case only because the culture here limits saudi women to speak freely and that limits us foreigners as well.

(This does not account for every single shop employee in saudi)

For me, its very frustrating to be so cold, since you never know the ones that wouldn't take it too far and the ones who would.

Now what about the guys "Saudi Don'ts"?

Ladies do share your part of the Saudi experience.

Yeah but you know what?  WHAT can the 'overly friendly' ones do?  I mean really? Say something cheeky? Follow you around? I've had a clerk, after asking him where to find olive oil, initiate a couple lines of conversation and then ask me to take him with me to the USA!  I smiled and said he'd have to take a number   Then picked up the olive oil and continued shopping.

In a local supermarket, the guy who weighs the produce gives  me a smile and a 'where have you been?'  while the guy whose brain I always pick regarding which brand of electronics to buy always has  a big welcome when he sees me.  I think that people being nice and actually acknowledging their existence makes their day.

Now, I'm all in favor of being cautious (those who know me know this lol)--keep it very strict with cab drivers, etc., any place where you can be in danger.  But in general?  I smile and am pleasant.

I am adamant about not allowing my time here to to change who I am inside.

I DO have some advice about what NOT to do here:

A colleague of mine always wore  short nylon stocking with her shoes when at work.  Well, she ended up developing a toe fungus because her feet couldn't 'breathe.'  Now this isn't an issue where most of us come from, but toe/foot fungi are very common here and are a bitch to get rid of (can take up to a year of very dangerous medication).

So my advice:  always wear sandals/open shoes, be careful not to cover your feet when they're damp, and try to stick with cotton, not nylon, if you must wear socks.

Alliecat wrote:

I DO have some advice about what NOT to do here:

A colleague of mine always wore  short nylon stocking with her shoes when at work.  Well, she ended up developing a toe fungus because her feet couldn't 'breathe.'  Now this isn't an issue where most of us come from, but toe/foot fungi are very common here and are a bitch to get rid of (can take up to a year of very dangerous medication).

So my advice:  always wear sandals/open shoes, be careful not to cover your feet when they're damp, and try to stick with cotton, not nylon, if you must wear socks.

Allie, that's YUK   I will most definately remember NOT to do that!!!

What not to do in Saudi (or anywhere else) - Do not treat people in a way that you wouldn't want to be treated - simples

Sadly, that does not work both ways here

Yeah but you know what?  WHAT can the 'overly friendly' ones do?  I mean really? Say something cheeky? Follow you around? I've had a clerk, after asking him where to find olive oil, initiate a couple lines of conversation and then ask me to take him with me to the USA!  I smiled and said he'd have to take a number   Then picked up the olive oil and continued shopping.

In a local supermarket, the guy who weighs the produce gives  me a smile and a 'where have you been?'  while the guy whose brain I always pick regarding which brand of electronics to buy always has  a big welcome when he sees me.  I think that people being nice and actually acknowledging their existence makes their day.

Now, I'm all in favor of being cautious (those who know me know this lol)--keep it very strict with cab drivers, etc., any place where you can be in danger.  But in general?  I smile and am pleasant.

I am adamant about not allowing my time here to to change who I am inside.

Well said! After working several years in customer service back in Finland there was nothing more depressing than those cold, expressionless faces that made you feel like a non-person, almost like some sort of an automatic machine. The exchange of words doesn't have to be elaborate, just a simple "hello" and "thank you" would do. In a nine-hour shift there can be up to 400 customers, and if just one tenth of them acknowledges you as a person, it's a big difference.

Here I've been just enjoying the attention a western lady gets from the supermarket and other clerks. It's all different with places where I don't feel safe, but what bad could come out of a smile and a couple words in a safe place? Of course one should always know the limits and not go overboard.

Thats the Arabian way of treating those of the species who are made of sugar and spice and all thats nice.....

Its amazing what happens when your nice and respectful to others - they usually treat you the same!   Do unto others...!  A smile, a kind word, a thank you...

We all have different roles in life, but genuine kindness goes a long way in building trust and mutual respect.  Doesn't matter where your from, what you do, how much money you have or who your 'daddy' is...  It matters who you are, how you act and how you treat your fellow man/woman!

You know what? I am quite agree with u girls.Being pleasant and even this over freely term in not too unsafe and dangerous.
The smile and kind words in any store or customer services works like magic to me and what maximum can happen to u?They would be nice to u too,may admire your beauty with some healthy flirtation(it does not matter even u don't consider yourself beautiful,they may ask your cell no...so what? u can nicely say no to them .Ain't we women already doing well in manipulating such situations?

Now here is my Dont
Never let your husband stare saudi women or if u r men ...i really mean it,u must avoid doing it in any mall or even driving,no matter if they r in Hijab and its same for my Eagles..never stare a saudi men accompanying his wife,they wives turn into some bitches even if there husband r ugliest species of this world

Agree fully with CAF.
We gotta make the first move

The smile and kind words in any store or customer services works like magic to me and what maximum can happen to u?They would be nice to u too,may admire your beauty with some healthy flirtation(it does not matter even u don't consider yourself beautiful,they may ask your cell no...so what? u can nicely say no to them. Ain't we women already doing well in manipulating such situations?

Bingo, nonz!!

But, but... can I stare the saudi men just a little? They're so handsome in their white attire and dark features! I'm having a hard time with this!

(And please know that I'm totally kidding. I would never disrespect their wives. This is just my humor.)

Preoria wrote:

But, but... can I stare the saudi men just a little? They're so handsome in their white attire and dark features! I'm having a hard time with this!

(And please know that I'm totally kidding. I would never disrespect their wives. This is just my humor.)

Stare at them when their wives aren't around, like I do (or wear sunglasses if wifey is there lol).

Oh, THAT's what the sunglasses are for!

Yeah the glasses that cover your eyes, cheeks, and entire face.

I think Nina has a hard because she's run into a few people who've made her uncomfortable by staring, following her in the grocery store and trying to get real close, or like the guy at the passport control who asked if they could get to know each other on a more serious level.

I just tell her to yell when she sees someone being dirty or following her around. It'll attract enough attention that he'll be pulled out my security or he'll have the common sense to run away.

As for me, I'm always starin' at them ladies. Especially that one who's always wearing black for me, she wants me...BAD. I'm always like "damn baby...whas yo name hunny?" lol!

You've hit on the important thing here, beezer:  do what you're comfortable with.  I can understand Nina's reluctance and totally agree with her doing what's she's comfortable with but I do want to advise her to not be too worried or afraid of people. 

There's men all over the world who want to know a cute girl on a 'more serious level'--and all she has to do is smile and say, firmly, 'No thank you--I'm not interested' like she would in Canada or anywhere else in the world.

beezer wrote:

Yeah the glasses that cover your eyes, cheeks, and entire face.

As for me, I'm always starin' at them ladies. Especially that one who's always wearing black for me, she wants me...BAD. I'm always like "damn baby...whas yo name hunny?" lol!

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/9766/lookj.jpg

I really liked her too beezer. She was gorgeous! One of a kind!

Beezer just explained why i had given my advice as a "Don't" rule.
But this does not mean that i think it is a nice thing to do. When it comes to me, wherever i am all over the world, i give the friendliest comments to those who work behind a counter/desk; i know it must feel horrible to be standing up and workin your butt off for so many hours, and then get treated badly; i mean please, its just common sense. I get greaaat prices by just being friendly and smile to the ones who seem "Normal" minded. But again, to those who you sense that there might get you uncomfortable to the extent of leaving without buying what you came for, i mean why to even bother be friendly?
In a different situation where i was in a store in granada, i was so friendly to the filipino sales man that he ended up giving me catalogs and great prices on some accessories.
I mean my advice only falls under the special cases where you have to take care of your own comfort zone and/or safety.

We know that, nina

My 2 cents was just discussion.

I really dont know what not to do in Saudi but i know one thing for sure that i have almost done everything in Riyadh what i do in my Hometown whether be it behind the walls.

What i really miss in Riyadh is Whiskeyyyyyyyyyy.

Anil

Alliecat wrote:

I am adamant about not allowing my time here to change who I am inside.

Excellent point Alliecat.. I totally agree..

musicman wrote:

Sadly, that does not work both ways here

I hear you, may well be the case sometimes, but not enough for me to change from this way of thinking and being.  As is being send in this thread, a smile and a warm greeting costs nothing at all but can make a huge difference to the response you get from people.  Also, you never know what is happening in other people's lives, that one moment taken to give a warm smile and a kind word can really make a fundamental difference to someone's day / life / actions.  I believe it is well worth practising the warm and friendly approach.  The ones who give back far outweigh the few that don't

beezer wrote:

Yeah the glasses that cover your eyes, cheeks, and entire face.

I think Nina has a hard because she's run into a few people who've made her uncomfortable by staring, following her in the grocery store and trying to get real close, or like the guy at the passport control who asked if they could get to know each other on a more serious level.

I just tell her to yell when she sees someone being dirty or following her around. It'll attract enough attention that he'll be pulled out my security or he'll have the common sense to run away.

As for me, I'm always starin' at them ladies. Especially that one who's always wearing black for me, she wants me...BAD. I'm always like "damn baby...whas yo name hunny?" lol!

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/9766/lookj.jpg

Well, like so many, Nina is a beautiful woman, men will stare at her, its a burden of beauty.

Nina_01 wrote:

Beezer just explained why i had given my advice as a "Don't" rule.
But this does not mean that i think it is a nice thing to do. When it comes to me, wherever i am all over the world, i give the friendliest comments to those who work behind a counter/desk; i know it must feel horrible to be standing up and workin your butt off for so many hours, and then get treated badly; i mean please, its just common sense. I get greaaat prices by just being friendly and smile to the ones who seem "Normal" minded. But again, to those who you sense that there might get you uncomfortable to the extent of leaving without buying what you came for, i mean why to even bother be friendly?
In a different situation where i was in a store in granada, i was so friendly to the filipino sales man that he ended up giving me catalogs and great prices on some accessories.
I mean my advice only falls under the special cases where you have to take care of your own comfort zone and/or safety.

Noted and understood, you posted a good point and worth discussion as you can see from the thread.

What not to do in Saudi:

Well, if you are woman DO NOT FORGET YOUR ABAYA!!!
DO NOT wolf whistle at a man
Do NOT bring alcohol into the Country
Do you want me to continue .........

gowiththeflowUK wrote:

What not to do in Saudi:

Well, if you are woman DO NOT FORGET YOUR ABAYA!!!
DO NOT wolf whistle at a man
Do NOT bring alcohol into the Country
Do you want me to continue .........

errrmmm.. do not breathe??

BTW, this is my 2,000th post!!!! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!

(I really do need a life lol)

Alliecat wrote:

gowiththeflowUK wrote:

What not to do in Saudi:

Well, if you are woman DO NOT FORGET YOUR ABAYA!!!
DO NOT wolf whistle at a man
Do NOT bring alcohol into the Country
Do you want me to continue .........

errrmmm.. do not breathe??

BTW, this is my 2,000th post!!!! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!

(I really do need a life lol)

awwwh, and you spent it with me   I am so flattered

Beezer: As for me, I'm always starin' at them ladies. Especially that one who's always wearing black for me, she wants me...BAD. I'm always like "damn baby...whas yo name hunny?" lol!

I dont believe u Man...Nina....Kill him Brutally for T.H.E crime

and Nina,we know what u trying to warn is understandable with your perspective and don't all of us ladies agree on the point that we got the special ability to sense the "Danger" I mean we can always differentiate who is just admiring or trying to be nice(even xtra) and who wants to act nasty with us?Of course being so beautiful and petite u r more vulnerable to such things...So be more careful

Alliecat wrote:

Preoria wrote:

But, but... can I stare the saudi men just a little? They're so handsome in their white attire and dark features! I'm having a hard time with this! https://www.expat.com/forum/img/smilies/sad.png

(And please know that I'm totally kidding. I would never disrespect their wives. This is just my humor.)

Stare at them when their wives aren't around, like I do (or wear sunglasses if wifey is there lol).

You girls 're so naughty

Oh God!!! I 'm too bad with this staring ability, I can never stare people nor I can response them back,I blush:( and I hate this bad gesture of mine:mad:

Anil wrote: 

What i really miss in Riyadh is Whiskeyyyyyyyyyy.

You so don't look like a Whiskey loving guy!    I've had you all pegged wrong!   

Alliecat wrote: 

BTW, this is my 2,000th post!!!! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!

(I really do need a life lol)

YES you do!!! 

Gowith -  You forgot the Bacon! 

Bottom Line:

Do not do in Saudi what you would normally do outside Saudi

Nonz & Gowitththeflow you guys are too sweeet!! Hehe..
About the abaya, funny story. I forgot it one time; yep yep true story. And that is not the worst part, I was wearing white from head to toe, AND capri's.
Thank God we were only going to another compound, it was a transaction form one compound to the other, and I was too lucky to not have had a mutawaa park beside our car in any of the traffic lights we crossed on our way there.

CAF wrote:

You so don't look like a Whiskey loving guy!    I've had you all pegged wrong!   

Yeah thats true. I will be waiting for it in our next meetinng


Anil

Another Don't:
Don't get too close to the saudi stores of scent/perfumes. This is only in case you get light headed from strong scents; in this case if you even walk by them, you might get a strong alergic sneezing reaction and/or even might faint for a couple of mints there. Lol.
My abaya was accidentally placed under another saudi womans' abaya, it layed there for like an hour or two, anyway when it was time to wear it and get in the car, the smelll was so strong that we had to open the windows all the way back home. It got me so dizzy that I had a severe headache for the rest of the night.

This also counts as to take in consideration that you shouldnt try too hard to put on normal perfumes and going out in public because you will be outdone by the saudi ladies. :p

Nina_01 wrote:

Another Don't:
Don't get too close to the saudi stores of scent/perfumes. This is only in case you get light headed from strong scentsp; in this case if you even walk by them, you might get a strong alergic sneezing reaction and/or even might faint for a couple of mints there. Lol.
My abaya was accidentally places under another saudi womans' abaya, it layed there for like an hour or two, anyway when it was time to wear it and get in the car, the smelll was so strong that we had to open the windows all the way back home. It got me so dizzy that I had a severe headache for the rest of the night.

This also counts as to take in consideration that you shouldnt try too hard to put on normal perfumes and going out in public because you will be outdone by the saudi ladies. :p

This is so true.....I m allergic to strong perfumes so I m know how bad it get There is one Perfume lane in Othaim Mall at Ground floor,accidentally i reached there and i entered there and i had no other choice then passing through.Oh God,the headache was killing me and I was about to faint or puke everything out in me....


SO follow this "Dont" of Nina if u r allergic to Strong perfumes:/

some folks call that a "high"

It's worse in the States!  Some higher-end stores, like Macy's, employee 'perfume girls' who run up and SPRAY you if you walk through the cosmetics dept.!!  I guess the idea is that you will soooooooo love the scent you'll buy a bottle of perfume.

But for those of us with alergies, all it means is that we avoid the cosmetics dept.!