Laws for women in Saudi Arabia. How to live in Saudi Arabia
Women of Saudi Arabia often perceived as oriental princesses from luxurious palaces, their lives are closed and full of secrets. And only a few photographs in glossy magazines can demonstrate how amazing beautiful saudi women. Their appearance, typical of oriental women, evokes admiration and even more questions - how do such beauties live, how do they take care of themselves, do they follow fashion?
Features of the appearance of Saudi beauties
According to the unchanging traditions and rules of this Arab country, Saudi Arabian women hide their appearance from prying eyes; only their parents (in childhood) or husband (after marriage) can admire their beauty. Like other residents of the country, beautiful Saudi women wear a traditional robe (abaya), which completely covers the body. Even the heads of beauties are covered; girls and women can leave only their eyes open. Girls are taught these rules from childhood and as adults they do not experience any particular problems with dressing up. But under the abaya a variety of outfits can be hidden - simple and inexpensive, luxurious and spectacular. It is interesting that traditional clothing that covers the entire body is worn not only by the wives of sheikhs and housewives who spend most of their time at home. Saudi Arabian women of various professions and occupations wear this outfit to work and to business meetings. Every year there is a growing number of business ladies in the country who also do not change traditions in clothing.
Exotic beautiful Saudi women They have an appearance, the main features of which are also characteristic of other residents of eastern countries. They have dark long hair. They have a beautiful silky shine. The eyes are also dark, brown or green, have a characteristic oriental cut, they are often very large and simply captivating with their gaze. The figures of Saudi women also have their own characteristics - they are very feminine, graceful, and have rounded shapes. Many women attract the attention of men with the beautiful shape of their bust and hips, but, unfortunately, the dark dense fabrics of the abaya most often hide feminine charms. In youth Saudi women They are slender and graceful, but rarely do any of them remain slim in adulthood - these are the features of the physique of Arab women.
See how attractive beautiful saudi women, you can see in photographs of oriental actresses or the most famous beauties of the country. This opportunity should be taken advantage of, because most often oriental princesses are hidden under a dark and thick veil. The color of the abaya is always only black, no other options are allowed, sometimes the robe is only decorated with embroidery or may have an interesting sleeve design. But such a strict outfit makes a woman a real mystery for men.
In the Top 12 most beautiful women of Saudi Arabia included famous Saudi and foreign actresses, singers, TV presenters, a model, a representative of the royal dynasty, having Saudi roots through one or two parents, and also living in Saudi Arabia or abroad.
12. Dina Shihabi / دينا شهابي(born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) is a Saudi-Arabian actress working in the United States.
10. Lojain Omran(born 1982, Khobar, Saudi Arabia) - Saudi TV presenter, goodwill ambassador.
9.Asil Omran / Aseel Omran / أسيل عمران(born November 12, 1989, Khobar, Saudi Arabia) is a Saudi singer who is famous not only in Saudi Arabia, but also in other Middle Eastern countries after participating in the reality show "Gulf Stars and Heya wa Huwa". She was signed by the largest record label in the Arab world. Is the sister of a TV presenter Lojan Omran. Asil's childish appearance and young age made her Saudi Arabia's first young star.
7. Reem Abdullah / Reem Abdullah / ريم عبد الله(born February 20, 1987, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) - Saudi actress. She starred in the series "Tash Ma Tash" and in the film "Wadjda". The works received very bright and positive reviews from critics.
6. Heba Jamal / Heba Jamal/ هبة جمال (born 1990) - Saudi journalist and TV presenter. Was named as one of the most influential Arab women in 2012. In 2011, Heba was also included in the list "100 Most Influential Arab Women". She ranks 40th among women entrepreneurs, economists, and journalists who influence the business arena in the Arab world and the Middle East. Heba is the single youngest Saudi woman working in the media.
5. Nadine Al-Budair / نادين آل بدير (born 1989) - Saudi TV presenter, journalist on a news channel.
1. Princess Ameera Al-Taweel/ الاميرة اميرة بنت عيدان بن نايف الطويل العصيمي العتيبي (born November 6, 1983, Riyadh) - Saudi princess and philanthropist. He is the vice-chairman of the Alwaleed Philanthropies charity foundation. Amira has spoken publicly in a number of US media outlets in support of women's right to drive in Saudi Arabia, as well as broader empowerment in Saudi society. Due to differences of views and bold statements, in 2013 Amira divorced her husband, Prince Al-Walid ibn Talal, who was 28 years older than her.
Al-Mamlayaqatu al-Arabiiyatu al-Saudiiyatu - this is exactly the name of the kingdom, which its inhabitants call among themselves briefly “al-Saudiyya”.
Religion as a way of life
Saudi Arabia is a country where Islam is based not on fear, but on an internal understanding of the “word of Allah”; it is located in the very heart of the Islamic world, bordering Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Iraq, and the Emirates. This is the homeland of Arab tribes who, back in 622, after the victorious campaign of the Ottoman Sultan Selim II, accepted Islam as the only possible religion. It was from here that the spread of Islam to the East began, displacing the Jewish faith.
Religious views here are supported by historical facts; it is known for certain that the Prophet Muhammad preached for many years on the territory of the Caliphate, and during his reign the infidels were expelled from the Hijaz. To this day, non-Christians are strictly prohibited from living in the territory of the holy Mecca and Medina.
Local residents live according to the “letter of the Koran”; there is, of course, a judicial power, but it is based on the norms of Sharia. Here they cut off a hand for theft, a head for violence. There is a religious police here, which not only monitors Muslims, but also infidels, who are prohibited from practicing religious worship in the country, demonstrating their religious preferences, etc.
Time passes slowly in this country. Arabs are leisurely; they can afford to spend an hour or two in an outdoor cafe, and then go to work. being late for a meeting with a foreigner is also not scary, but a foreigner who is delayed on the way is unlikely to be forgiven for this.
Enterprises and stores also do not have fixed operating hours, with the only exceptions being administrative bodies and life-saving organizations. No one works on Friday - it is a day of prayer.
You are unlikely to find toys in the shape of animals in stores. The Koran believes that they cannot be created, because otherwise a person will try to become like Allah. It’s funny, but in cities, men are not allowed to walk their pets, but women can.
Women of Islam
There is a lot of talk about the situation of women in Saudi Arabia, noting their insecurity and powerlessness. Indeed, the woman is completely subordinate, but this is not as bad as it seems, because she is “entrusted to him by Allah,” which for a true believer means the need to protect her. And men really take care of their women. Especially from prying eyes.
All women are required to cover their heads, hide their faces and wear special clothing outside the home. Each of them has her own “guardian” - an older man who monitors the correctness of her actions; it is he who decides whether the ward can receive an education, seek medical help, visit public places, etc.
Girls are not free to choose a husband; they are given out at the age of 10 by prior agreement between families. It is not necessary for the bride to be at the wedding.
Meanwhile, women work and lead active lives, but, however, only between women. It is forbidden to visit them, sit at the same table with them, and even more so enter into an argument.
Women are not allowed to have a driver's license, so only men drive. The bans also apply to foreign women, so you won’t be able to walk around the capital in European dress.
We ended up in Saudi Arabia almost by accident. My husband worked for an international company, and at a banquet after one conference, one of the regional managers approached him and asked if my husband would like to work in another country. For example, in Saudi Arabia. The husband was in a good mood, and he said that visiting Saudi Arabia was his long-time dream.
The next morning, this idea no longer seemed so tempting, but it was too late to refuse.
Before the trip, I began to surf the Internet in search of information about this country. Five years ago, it was almost impossible to find anything other than horror stories. And not only on the Internet: having already arrived in the country, I met a friend from Scotland - at that time he had already been in Riyadh for eight years and in my eyes was a mega-expert on life in Saudi Arabia. He began to tell me how dangerous it was here, that I couldn’t go anywhere without my husband. I believed him, but soon realized that all these horrors existed only in the imagination of our friend. Everything turned out to be much simpler. Yes, of course, there are specifics, but nothing terrible or particularly difficult awaited us.
Many foreigners have this perception of Saudi Arabia.
They come here expecting horrors, then live in gated communities and commute along the “home-to-work” route.
As a result, they don’t even have the opportunity to find out whether everything they read is true or not: they don’t go anywhere, don’t see the country and don’t communicate with the locals.
The only thing that was truly unexpected for me was that they wouldn’t talk to me everywhere. I was used to solving all my problems myself, but here I had to constantly involve my husband and ask him for help in the simplest everyday issues.
It was funny that the salespeople in the store did not answer my question if my husband was nearby. They will only talk to him, even if I asked the question. This is due to the fact that it is not customary for them to talk to a stranger and look at her. If I come alone, they communicate with me without looking me in the eye. Staring at a woman is extremely disrespectful. This is about the same as if someone grabs you by the butt on a Moscow street, and they joyfully tell everyone about it.
At first, there were difficulties getting around the city - they don’t have public transport, and no one walks, and there’s nowhere to go. But everything was resolved with the help of Uber. It's quite cheap there, so I called a car as much as I needed.
In addition to the problem of transport, I had to find a social circle, but it was not difficult. On Facebook I found a group of Russian-speaking women living in Saudi Arabia.
And I met one of my main Saudi girlfriends in a store. Her husband heard that we spoke Russian and sent her to meet us.
As a result, they became our neighbors and close friends. And together we still retrained that Scot a little.
The only difficulty is the lack of free sale of alcohol. Some people drive themselves. Some have achieved excellent results and their wine and beer are very similar to the real thing. Someone knows diplomats who can give you a couple of bottles of alcohol. You can buy any real alcohol, but it will be very expensive. A bottle of vodka will cost approximately 60 thousand rubles.
I didn't notice any other problems. Yes, you need to wear an abaya. But for me it's just a dress and that's it. I do not see this as an infringement of my freedoms. And often this is even very convenient, since you don’t have to think about what to wear before leaving the house.
She threw on her abaya and ran off like a beauty to run errands.
In Saudi Arabia, unlike other Muslim countries, it is not the husband or father who decides how a woman should live and look, but the king. Therefore, all women in Saudi Arabia are required to wear an abaya and cannot drive a car.
By the way, local women don’t run. And they don't even talk loudly. They carry themselves like a vessel with priceless contents and do not look around. For example, when arriving at a store, the car stops near the main entrance, and the women slowly unload and go about their business. When they finish shopping, the cars also drive up to the entrance, the driver or husband puts the women in the car, loads the shopping bags, and only after that the car leaves. And all this time behind her there is a line of other cars that have arrived at this shopping center, and no one complains that they have to wait, because in each car there is the same young lady.
When I went to Saudia, for some reason it seemed to me that everyone there was insanely rich. Naturally, it turned out that this was not all. Of course, by our standards they live very well, but this is more likely due to local specifics. For example, the vast majority of locals live not in apartments, but in houses. With such large families, you simply can’t fit in any apartment.
Therefore, if a family is not completely poor, then it lives either in its own or in a rented house.
Almost every family has a servant. But again, this is a necessity, not a luxury. For example, you can’t go anywhere without a driver. As I said, there is no public transport. Not every Muslim husband will let his wife go with taxi drivers, so you need your own, proven one. There are many children in families, so a maid is hired to look after the children and the house. Housekeeping services are quite cheap. For example, the salary of a maid who works 24 hours a day is $1000-1500.
There are a lot of foreign workers in Saudi Arabia. Starting from janitors and ending with neurosurgeons. For several years now, local authorities have been working to reduce the number of foreigners, but this is a very difficult and slow process. 90% of taxi drivers, laborers, and construction workers in Saudi Arabia are Pakistanis. Nannies, housekeepers, beauty salon technicians, and kindergarten teachers are women who came from the Philippines and Ethiopia. On the one hand, people coming to Saudi Arabia from developing countries receive good salaries and a roof over their heads. On the other hand, the attitude towards them is disrespectful. But they also periodically “respond” to their employers.
Many people, when they arrive, understand that they can earn much more if they work for themselves. For example, by hiring a job to clean houses several times a week, rather than living with a family.
They run away from their employers, and they are left with nothing. Now, in order to bring in a new worker, they need to pay a lot of money for visas again and wait again. This process takes more than one month. Unfortunately, today there are practically no agencies that help find a driver or housekeeper in Saudi Arabia without bringing them from another country. And since entry into the kingdom is possible only with a work visa, there are no legal options left except to wait again and hope that the new housekeeper will not run away from you in search of a better life.
By the way, despite the fact that there are no taxes in Saudi Arabia, there is a so-called tax for the poor. If you want to bring an employee, either as an individual to hire a housekeeper, or on behalf of a company to invite a Western specialist, then you need to pay for his visa, tax and two-way ticket. This will amount to an average of 300 thousand rubles. This way you pay the government to help low-income citizens.
Most Saudis go to Bahrain to take a break from their calm and measured life.
From Riyadh to Manama, the capital of Bahrain, is about a four-hour drive. On Thursday evening (the weekend in the Arab world is Friday and Saturday), huge queues form at the border of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. On the island, unlike Saudi Arabia, alcohol is allowed and there are entertainment venues, and women have the right to wear any clothes and drive a car. If you are tired of Bahrain, Sharm el-Sheikh and Dubai are nearby, where you can easily get everything that is prohibited in Saudi Arabia. And the Maldives is just a stone's throw away.
The most attractive thing for foreigners is, of course, the salaries. Here they are among the highest in the world. Previously, they were the very best, but now Iran has taken first place. A good specialist earns from 300 thousand rubles a month (while a good English-language school costs from 50 thousand rubles a year). Plus, the companies provide a good social package in the form of payment for housing and school, a car, and insurance for the whole family. And all this is free for the employee.
Of course, if a person gets a job as a laborer at a construction site, no one will rent him a villa in an expensive cottage village.
But compared to the salary and living conditions of the same worker in his homeland, he will benefit. Unfortunately, over the past few years, salaries in Saudi Arabia have begun to decline. The financial and oil crises have reached here too.
Most foreigners live in gated communities, campuses. They are very different. There are ordinary villages with 10-20 houses and a couple of swimming pools. And there are huge ones, like cities, with shops, schools, clinics and cinemas. The cost of housing in such compounds is very high. Typically, housing is provided to employees of large American or British companies.
On average, a villa can be rented from 1.5 million rubles per year for a two-story house in a small compound and up to 10 million rubles for a luxury villa in a huge village with developed infrastructure. The cost of housing is also influenced by the ratio of representatives of different nationalities living in the neighborhood. For example, there are villages where only people with European passports live. Such housing is considered more prestigious. There are campuses where the majority of residents are Arabs from various countries. The cost will be lower in them.
Most women who come to Saudi Arabia do not work. The professions of a doctor or teacher are considered “female”. For example, being a female real estate broker is almost impossible. As a specialist, simply no one will talk to her. To date, there is only one woman in Riyadh who has been able to win the right to work in this market.
Mostly foreign women invent different hobbies for themselves.
For example, they conduct coffee mornings on the territory of different campuses. Some women organize fairs to sell their creations, others come to see it all, drink coffee and chat. Going to a cafe or restaurant in a female company is not always convenient, so such “matinees” are the best option to meet with girlfriends and discuss the latest news. Most foreign women in Saudi Arabia live the life of “socialites” - shopping, dining and visiting.
There is another interesting point - queues. In stores there are always separate queues for single men and for women or married couples. Until recently, there was a separate queue at the airport for Pakistanis. It moved extremely slowly; the border guards could leave for an indefinite period of time, start chatting, or take a smoke break on the spot. The line in which the Europeans and Saudis stood moved as usual. A few years ago, one of the princes came to the airport for an inspection, and the situation changed dramatically. The arrivals area was renovated, the check-in system for arrivals was changed and separate queues were eliminated. Everything has become much more pleasant and faster.
By the way, large shopping centers have separate days for single men to visit. Women and families can come any day and time.
There are no traffic rules at all; the roads are in complete chaos. Driving is very difficult at first. The Saudis also do not recognize seat belts or child car seats.
A one-year-old baby can sit quite calmly in the driver’s arms and lean out of the open window.
If an accident occurs, but the cars suffer minor damage, then drivers may not even stop, let alone call the police.
The only entertainment here is shopping and restaurants. There are a lot of shops, and they are all simply huge. The selection of goods is gigantic. Several times a year there are discounts, and quite large ones. A huge number of goods can be bought 70-90% cheaper. Although, of course, there are some peculiarities. Many stores import old collections that no one buys in Europe anymore.
There are also a lot of restaurants, for a wide variety of tastes. But almost all of them, even the most expensive ones, do not reach the level of luxury European ones. It is very common for locals to order food at home. Every restaurant or even the smallest eatery offers delivery services.
The restaurants have separate areas for families, women and single men.
They treat Russians completely normally. To be honest, in all the years we have lived in various countries, we have not encountered open hostility. Only once, at a barbecue in Riyadh, Syrians approached my husband and began to explain that he was to blame for the death of their compatriots.
We were lucky with the people we met here. For example, one of my husband’s colleagues turned out to be an absolutely wonderful person. He took great pleasure in immersing us in Saudi reality, helping us adapt, showing us interesting places, and introducing us to the local culture. Among our acquaintances were people from different countries, and this made it possible to constantly learn something new. I didn’t regret at all that we once decided to go to Saudia. Yes, we will not stay here for many years, despite all the financial benefits, but we will take away only pleasant memories from here.
Dear readers of Gazeta.Ru!
53 Saudi clerics called on Arab countries to support “jihad” against Russia, Iran and the Syrian authorities.
Third Saudi
The state of Saudi Arabia was born on September 23, 1932. In 1926, Abdul al-Aziz of the Saud family united the regions of Najd and Hejaz and founded the Kingdom of Najd and Hejaz, in 1932, after conquering Asir and strengthening positions in Al Hasa and Qatif, the country became known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Modern Saudi Arabia is also sometimes called the Third Saudi State, thus distinguishing it from the First and Second Saudi States, which lasted from 1744 to 1813 and from 1824 to 1891, respectively.
Oil map
Saudi Arabia is a real "oil barrel". The export of these raw materials provides 90% of the country's export revenues, 75% of budget revenues and 45% of the state's GDP. Oil has become for Saudi Arabia not only the main product that boosts the country's economy, but also a serious geopolitical trump card.
Enormous oil reserves were discovered here in 1938, but large-scale development had to be postponed due to World War II. The United States has had its share in the Arab raw materials business since 1933; the Standard Oil Company of California operated in Saudi Arabia.
Without waiting for the end of the war, US President Franklin Roosevelt in February 1945, after the end of the Yalta Conference, held a meeting with Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud. The negotiations took place on board the American warship Quincy in the Suez Canal. Then the so-called “Quincy Pact” was concluded, according to which the monopoly on oil exploration and development was transferred to the United States. Roosevelt, in turn, promised the Saudis protection from external threats.
Oil made Saudi Arabia the richest state in its region; by 1952, Abdul-Aziz had a personal fortune of about $200 million. The United States, in turn, gained good leverage over the oil market.
Rights of women and men
When it comes to Saudi Arabia, one always remembers the strict Sharia laws. Women there have very limited rights. Thus, in Saudi Arabia, a woman is not recommended to appear outside her home without being accompanied by a mahram man (relative, husband); she is prohibited from communicating with other men if they are not mahram. In 2009, the brothers publicly executed two of their sisters for communicating with other men, and in 2007, the father personally executed his daughter because she communicated on Facebook with an unfamiliar man.
Women in Saudi Arabia are required to wear black abayas everywhere, and in 2011, religious police also began requiring women to cover their eyes in public because they might be too sexual. Men in Saudi Arabia must protect the honor of their family and the honor of their women. There is such a concept as “namus” or “sharaf”, which is translated as honor. By observing namus, a man can himself determine the punishment for a woman who violates ird - the rules of female piety.
To be fair, segregation in Saudi Arabia applies to both women and men. Single men have no less limited rights here than women. All public places are divided into two parts - for families (read "for women") and for men. In most places, entry to single men is in principle prohibited, so socially they are oppressed in their rights no less than women. Women in Saudi Arabia are fighting for their rights and have already achieved success in this matter; they can even occupy political positions.
Executions
The legal system of Saudi Arabia is based on Sharia law; the death penalty in the country is provided for premeditated murder, armed robbery, homosexuality, extramarital (premarital) affairs, religious apostasy, sexual assault, and the creation of groups opposing the government.
Compliance with Sharia law is controlled by the religious police - the Mutawa, which is also called the Sharia Guard. She reports to the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.
For various crimes, Sharia law establishes various punishments - from blows and stoning to beheading.
The right to carry out executions in Saudi Arabia is considered honorable; there are still several dynasties of executioners in the country; this skill is passed down through generations. In 2013, Saudi Arabia faced a shortage of personnel; sword bearers are now becoming fewer and fewer, so the forms of execution have also changed.
Mecca and Medina
Saudi Arabia is one of the most closed countries in the world. Staying in the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina for non-Muslims is strictly prohibited by law. You can get to these cities only in groups of pilgrims performing the Hajj. In history, however, there have been cases of violation of these prohibitions.
The first known non-Muslim to visit Mecca was the Italian traveler from Bologna, Ludovico de Vertema, who visited there in 1503. Another non-Muslim who visited Mecca was Sir Richard Francis Burton. In the mid-19th century, he made the Hajj from Afghanistan under an assumed name.
A few facts
There are no rivers in Saudi Arabia. Water here is more expensive than gasoline. Magic is officially banned in Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, there are nesting dolls for sale, but they are made in accordance with the norms - women wear abayas, men wear tobi and gutri. Saudi Arabia has adopted the Islamic calendar and is currently in the year 1436 Hijri. My favorite sport is football, the national team has been the champion of Asia three times. Getting a visa is not so easy, especially if your passport contains notes about visiting Israel.
Simple female happiness
The world's largest women's prison. This is how journalists dubbed Saudi Arabia. “Women in my country are ignored by their fathers, neglected by their brothers and abused by their husbands,” Jean Sasson writes in her non-fiction book “The Princess: The True Story of Life Under the Veil in Saudi Arabia.”
“Men believe that they are superior beings, and behave accordingly,” explains the writer. “The authority of the Saudi man is limitless. He executes and pardons, and his wife and children will live if only he wishes it.
At home, he represents the highest authority. From childhood, boys are instilled with the idea that a woman has no value and serves only for convenience and pleasure. The child sees the disdain with which the father treats his mother and sisters, and begins, in turn, to treat all members of the opposite sex with contempt, which subsequently makes friendly relations with women impossible.
Accustomed from childhood to the role of master, the boy, when the time comes for him to mature, considers his girlfriend to be nothing more than part of his property.
In Arabic, the word hormah, which means woman, is etymologically derived from the word haram, which translates as “sin.” The bestseller about “life under the veil” is often accused by critics of exaggeration and excessive emotionality, but we must pay tribute to the story, which is largely true. Evidence of this is found in other publications.
In the book “In the Dark Kingdom: My Life in Saudi Arabia,” Carmen bin Laden, the wife of Osama bin Laden’s brother, describes the following incident: “One afternoon I was at the market. Due to the heat, a pregnant woman lost consciousness and fell. Her husband rushed over. to her aid, but the religious police were right there.
They attacked him because he tried to touch his wife in the presence of strangers." The so-called textbooks on "Islamic etiquette" are completely shocking. The favorite topic of their authors is the technique of beating wives.
Mohammed Kamal in his book “Woman in Islam” teaches that a spouse should not be beaten with a rod that is too thick, since the blows should bring her, first of all, not physical, but spiritual suffering. He recommends striking sensitive parts of the body: face, chest, head.
Family relations expert Ghazi al-Shimiri, in his work, disputes the opinion of his colleague: he believes that hitting a woman in the face should not be done under any circumstances. His signature advice is that a husband should definitely warn his wife about how many blows he intends to inflict on her.
The author of the opus “On the Subordination of Women in Islam,” Hassan Asha, lists cases in which a husband should give up. For example, when a woman refuses to preen herself before meeting her legal spouse, does not want to satisfy his sexual needs, neglects her religious duties, or leaves home without permission.
Women's rights in Saudi society are based on patriarchal Sharia law, the Quran, the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and tribal laws. Pundits and prominent politicians often cite the life of the Prophet Muhammad to argue that Islam encourages strong women.
As you know, the first wife of the prophet Khadija was an entrepreneur and at one time took the initiative in proposing marriage. Another wife, Aisha, led the army in one of the battles. It is also popular to quote the words of the prophet: “You have rights over your women, and your women have rights over you.”
All Saudi women are required to wear the hijab as a fundamental sign of gender segregation. To prevent a man (not a husband or a relative) from being seduced by a woman, in a public place she must cover all parts of the body except the oval of the face, hands and feet. In some provinces, women are required to cover their faces except their eyes and leave only their hands exposed.
Two years ago, Saudi Mullah Sheikh Abdullah Daoud called for girls to be covered with veils from birth to protect them from sexual harassment. However, other clerics and officials urged the Saudis not to take his recommendation into account, since in their opinion it was “unfair to force children to wear a burqa.”
In the West, the Saudi dress code is usually interpreted as the main symbol of the oppression of women. However, local women campaigning for their rights are considering giving up the abaya as a last resort.
Women in Saudi Arabia are required to live and move outside the home with a mahram male relative or husband. A male caregiver plays an important role in all aspects of a woman's life. Without a mahram's agreement, a woman cannot get married, get an education, get a job, move within the country, travel abroad, open a bank account, or even undergo a planned operation.
Formally, these rules were abolished in 2008, but in fact the practice of having a mahram continues to be present everywhere.
Moreover, among local women there are often supporters of male guardianship. Noura Aburakhman, an employee of the Ministry of Education, said in an interview: “As a Saudi woman, I demand to have a guardian with me.”
A few years ago, another supporter of this phenomenon created a petition “My guardian knows what is best for me,” which managed to collect more than five thousand signatures. However, there are many who are critical of male guardians, arguing that this degrades the dignity of a woman, equating her with a child or a subordinate.
Be that as it may, mahram guardianship allows the women of the Kingdom to avoid any contact with unknown men and maintain their “feminine purity.” Violations of the principles of gender segregation are called "halva", which can amount to a crime, especially on the part of a woman. In 2008, 75-year-old Kamisa Mohammad Sawadi was sentenced to forty lashes and four months in prison for delivering bread to her home from a stranger. In no other country in the world is there such a division between men and women as in Saudi Arabia.
Women do not have the right to use public transport, elevators shared with men, restaurants where separate entrances and exits are specially equipped, as well as separate rooms for couples and men.
Most houses are also divided into two halves. Traditionally, building designs include high walls and small windows covered with curtains in women's quarters to allow them to isolate themselves from the outside world. Sometimes segregation leads to senseless tragedies.
In March 2002, in one of the girls' schools, several dozen students were burned alive only because male firefighters refused to enter the women's premises and take the schoolgirls out of the burning building. Religious police officers who arrived at the scene of the fire prevented the girls from evacuating from the burning building under the pretext that they were “inappropriately dressed.”
From early childhood, girls are taught that they are born solely to support the family hearth, give birth and raise children. A woman can work only with the permission of the mahram, and only on the condition that she does not neglect her family responsibilities.
According to Saudi law, a woman is allowed to work only in strictly designated areas where a female client could avoid unwanted contact with a man. The main areas of work for Saudi women are education and medicine; it is less common to see women working in finance.
Since 2013, women have been officially allowed to work as lawyers. Conservative Saudi citizens, labor ministry officials and religious leaders unanimously insist that the opportunity for representatives of the weaker and very oppressed sex to work is contrary to its nature: “The best place for a woman is her home.”
Women in Saudi Arabia make up only 17% of the workforce. For comparison: in the UAE their share is more than 40%. Every second working Saudi woman has a higher education. Although it is worth noting that the quality of women's education here is significantly lower than men's.
Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that completely suppresses any manifestation of women's sports. Until 2008, the country did not represent women at the Olympics, although women's teams exist in the kingdom. It was not until June 2012 that Saudi athletes were allowed to compete in the Olympic Games in England. Just a year ago, the government first sanctioned sports lessons for girls in private schools.
Since 2013, women in Saudi Arabia have been allowed to ride bicycles and motorcycles, which was previously strictly prohibited. Needless to say, female cyclists must be fully covered in an abaya and accompanied by a guardian.
However, this rule does not apply to traveling by car. According to local rules, women are not allowed to drive, although this ban is widely violated in rural areas. Due to the fact that women are not allowed to leave the premises unless accompanied by a husband or male relative, the movement of Saudi women throughout the country is very limited.
There is no specific law prohibiting women from driving, but they are not issued state licenses to drive cars. As usual, Saudi scholars and religious leaders consider driving a car by a woman a sin, although nothing is written about this in the Koran.
Professor Kamal Subhi argues that once women get driver's licenses, Saudi Arabia will move closer to moral collapse. According to him, “this rash step will open the door to Satan, will promote the development of homosexuality, pornography, prostitution and divorce, and within ten years all Saudi virgins will die out.” Since the woman herself does not have the right to drive, many are forced to resort to hiring a foreign driver to transport women, which is very expensive for their husbands.
Sometimes it gets to the point of absurdity. In 2010, an advisor to the royal court and the Ministry of Justice issued a fatwa requiring a woman to breastfeed a driver who works for her in order to become related to him. In this case, a male relative will be able to communicate with a woman without violating the laws and serve as a cab driver for her.
Perhaps the worst thing about the lives of Saudi women is that the law does not protect them from domestic violence and gender discrimination. A woman's statements about her husband beating her are not considered evidence of his guilt. A Saudi woman who alleges rape or sexual assault will not only not receive support from the authorities, but will also be accused of provoking the incident, inappropriate behavior or secret sexual relations.
In 2009, a 23-year-old unmarried woman was sentenced to one year in prison and 100 lashes for “adultery” after being the victim of rape and unsuccessfully trying to get an abortion. The spanking was postponed until after the birth. Lawlessness also applies to girls. The world community was shocked by the story of a Saudi preacher who raped and brutally killed his five-year-old daughter. For the murder of the girl, al-Ghamdi faced the death penalty.
However, after he agreed to pay a little more than 182 thousand Saudi riyals (about $48 thousand) to the mother of the murdered woman, the court released him. It is also striking that according to Islamic law, compensation for the death of a female child is half as much as if a boy were killed.
The situation of women in Saudi Arabia is the subject of endless debate. Despite the fact that public relations between women and men in the state are extremely limited, and representatives of the fairer sex have fewer rights than responsibilities, many of them are quite happy with this state of affairs.
Not all Saudi women consider themselves slaves. Under their black abayas, outfits from the best fashion designers and expensive jewelry are often hidden. Their husbands maintain a whole staff of maids to make life easier for their spouses. A properly drafted prenuptial agreement will allow you to avoid poverty after a divorce, which may occur in the event of mistreatment by your husband. The ban on education has long been lifted.
Since 2011, Saudi women have been granted the right to vote. Moreover, in 2013, an active campaign began to stop violence against women. For the first time, the Council of Ministers passed a law prohibiting domestic violence and other forms of abuse of women. And to bypass gender segregation, alternative types of communication with the help of technology and communications have become especially popular. Among the inhabitants of the kingdom, it is now fashionable to meet and communicate via bluetooth.
Saudi women are embracing social media and engaging in pen-pal affairs on Facebook, despite some conservative clerics arguing that Facebook promotes gender confusion and is a "doorway to lust." “Even though the women in my country hide their faces under the burqa, even if they are under the complete control of the patriarchal society in which we live, I believe that this cannot go on forever,” one of the women wrote hopefully.
Judging by the reports of human rights activists, life is not sweet for them. The country ranks 130th out of 134 countries in terms of violation of women's rights. In fact, everything is not so scary and many women like this life. The position of a woman in Saudi Arabia can be compared to the position of a child in European society. Yes, you cannot vote, a woman does not have the right to study/work/travel abroad unless her husband or relative gives her permission, but in many matters life is simpler. Let's see if it's possible to live with such restrictions...
For example, women should not drive a car. By the way, Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where this restriction applies. It is impossible for many reasons, primarily for religious reasons - it’s not a woman’s thing to turn the steering wheel. Professor Kamal Subhi claims that if women are allowed to drive cars in the country, there will be no virgins left in ten years. Another influential Sheikh, Saleh Lohaidan, said that if a woman drives a car, she may give birth to a child with birth defects.
For many years, women have been fighting for the right to drive, but so far to no avail. Although there is no formal ban on driving, it is impossible for a woman to get a driver’s license here. Many women drive without a license, especially in rural areas. Officially, there are no penalties for driving for women. The maximum that a police officer can do is call her parents or return the offender home to her husband.
On the other hand, if men do not allow women to drive, they must provide her with a driver or taxi. This often takes a lot of money, and in order to save money, the men themselves demand that the king allow women to drive. Many funny stories also happen to taxi drivers. For example, a taxi driver is actually a “strange man” with whom a woman should not communicate. How to go? It reaches the point of idiocy.
In 2010, the adviser to the royal court and the Ministry of Justice issued a fatwa according to which a woman is obliged to breastfeed the driver who works for her so that he becomes a mahram (relative) for the woman. This way, the driver will be able to communicate with the woman without violating the laws.
The king smiles and says that he is for equal rights, but society is not ready yet:
“I strongly believe in women's rights. My mother is a woman. My sister is a woman. My daughter is a woman. My wife is a woman. I believe the day will come when women will start driving. In fact, if you look around the countryside, you will find a woman driving. I believe that this will be possible in due time and I believe that patience is a virtue."
But there is also good news. This year, for example, Saudi women were allowed to ride bicycles, but only in parks.
Women in Saudi Arabia rarely work. Many professions are closed to them, for example, those where she can or must communicate with unfamiliar men. But gradually the situation is improving. This year, Saudi Arabia allowed women to work as lawyers. At one time they wanted to build a separate women's district here, where women could work freely.
Due to restrictions on leisure time, and in Saudi Arabia there are no theaters or cinemas, the only entertainment for a woman is shopping. Women often cannot receive a full education because they get married early. They don’t know anything, they haven’t really studied, they’re only interested in clothes. This leads to the fact that Saudi men themselves prefer the company of foreign women; at least they can talk about something with them.
The most unpleasant restrictions in clothing. Women are required to wear black abayas, or as they joke here, raincoats.
It is highly not recommended to walk with your head uncovered. The local police will definitely reprimand you. Many women cover their entire face, leaving only their eyes. This is not required, but many do it voluntarily. That's how it is. Anyone who wants can easily walk like this:
Saudi men also almost 100% wear white long shirts and nothing. In general, I think it’s quite convenient; you don’t have to think about what to wear. I put on my robe and that's it.
By the way, wild things have happened before. In 2002, a fire broke out at a girls' school in Mecca, killing 15 students. Moreover, the girls burned only because they were driven back into the fire when they tried to escape. The girls were dressed inappropriately. However, the religious police in Mecca were on alert.
Witnesses of the fire said then that the police even beat schoolgirls because they did not want to go back for decent clothes. 8 years passed and in 2010, the good King Abdullah mercifully allowed firefighters to rescue “undressed” women from the fire according to Islamic rules.
All of Saudi Arabia is divided into two parts - male and female. The women's part is delicately called "family". Every restaurant has a section for men and a section for families.
Often the restaurant even has separate entrances for men and women. The section for men is small, there are usually only a few tables and separate cash registers. On the other side is the entrance to the family section, which is usually large.
In restaurants, these tables are closed with curtains - there women can open their faces to eat. In many stores, FAMILY ONLY means only women can enter, because “stranger” women may enter there, whom a man cannot see.
Many parks only allow women or families, and most supermarket checkout counters do not serve single men. Some stores have entire floors where men are not allowed. Hotels also often have separate women's floors, where men are not allowed.
Sometimes students of two sexes study at different times so as not to overlap. It is clear that in public transport there is also a strict division. Even on an airplane, if a man is given a seat next to an unfamiliar woman, the man will be seated, not the woman. It turns out to be a paradoxical thing: for a man there are more restrictions in social life than for a woman. In general, a single man in Saudi Arabia has a hard time - half of the places are closed to him.
It is almost impossible for a single man to rent a house. When a friend of mine lived in Riyadh, his realtor went around to his neighbors and asked if they were okay with a bachelor living nearby. Everyone was against it. He looked for an apartment for 4 months and found it - on the back side of some wretched villa. There is a separate entrance, you almost had to crawl under a fence to enter the house.
Previously, it was almost impossible for women to travel and move around unaccompanied. Today they walk freely without men accompanying them. Recently, women were even allowed to travel abroad unaccompanied. But you need your husband's permission.
You are probably wondering how young people get to know each other here if everything is so strictly separated? Either the old-fashioned way, through relatives, through sisters, or by phone. There is a very popular app in Saudi Arabia right now called “Who Is There?” This application searches for people within a radius of several kilometers and they chat, send each other photos without fawning and get to know each other. Unfortunately, things weren't so simple in the beginning.
In 2007, her father killed a young girl when he learned that she had been communicating with a young man on Facebook. The case received wide resonance and publicity in the media. Conservatives have called on the government to ban Facebook because they say the network incites lust and causes social strife by encouraging sexual mixing.
The greatest shame for a woman is the arrest of the religious police as a result of contact with a non-Mahram man (not a relative). So in 2009, two young girls, after being arrested as a result of communicating with men, were publicly shot by their brothers in the presence of their father.
That same year, a 23-year-old unmarried woman was sentenced to one year in prison and 100 lashes for “adultery” because she had been the victim of rape and had unsuccessfully attempted to obtain an abortion. The spanking was postponed until after the birth. But such cases are happening less and less.
