Not for any of the usual often incorrect reasons people might be fearful of travelling to the vast Gulf nation. It was because it felt like such an unknown to be visiting there as a woman, specifically what the Saudi Arabia dress code meant in practice.
Having spent about four months in the Middle East , including extensive time in countries like Oman , a traditionally conservative nation, I should have been comfortable with the idea of travelling to Saudi Arabia.
For some reason though, I felt an unease. Saudi Arabia has been a nation heavily inaccessible to the wider world for so long. I was concerned that my appearance would attract unwanted attention and that any attempt to wear anything but a black abaya would draw negative looks, disapproval or criticism.
These quick thoughts are my take on the Saudi Arabia dress code as a woman, after my kilometre, one month road trip across the country in and a second trip in As of , there is no specific Saudi Arabia dress code for women. Iran has been all over the news recently due to the horrendous behaviour of their morality police, so is this also an issue in conservative Saudi Arabia? As with any conservative country, there are unofficial expectations on how women should dress.
There are also some official though vague instructions on how to behave and what to wear as a tourist, called the Public Decorum Charter. Any kind of footwear the Saudi Arabia dress code does not extend to feet!
