Wives in Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, women are recognized as animals. Previously, they were considered objects. Higher education is possible. Is it necessary

100 facts about Saudi Arabia, one of the most closed countries in the world. I don’t pretend to be the ultimate truth; what I encountered was what I wrote about.

1. First of all, do you know why Arabia is Saudi Arabia? The name comes from the Saudi dynasty, which fought with the Rashidi dynasty (and if they had won, it would have been called Rashid Arabia, but in the end the Saudis won) and since then the country has been called the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

2. Well, from the name it’s clear that this country is ruled by a king. Just the other day, the old 90-year-old king passed away and his 79-year-old brother ascended the throne.

3. By the way, the new king, as soon as he ascended the throne, distributed money to the Saudis. WithoutDmozDmezDno. All civil servants, pensioners and students received two salaries/pensions/scholarships.

4. In general, since they are officially allowed to have 4 wives, the entire royal family has about 5 thousand (!!!) princes and princesses.

5. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women are prohibited from driving. Local doctors claim that driving can affect the ovaries and pelvic organs and the likelihood of giving birth to a child with a deviation is high, and local scientists say that driving a car by a woman will, quote, “lead to the spread of prostitution, pornography, homosexuality and divorce.” Despite this, women are actively fighting for the right to drive a car, writing some petitions, etc.

6. In general, in Saudi Arabia A woman has very few rights. A woman does not have the right to go out alone, only accompanied by a male relative. Until recently, they didn’t even have passports; they entered first into their father’s passport, then into their husband’s passport. But the old king gave them the opportunity to have their own passport.

7. At the same time, a woman cannot leave Saudi Arabia alone unless she has written permission from her father/husband.

8. Another one local peculiarity– women's clothing. A woman cannot go out in any clothing other than a black abaya. Well, of course, your hair should be covered with a black scarf. Faces are also mostly covered with a niqab, but not always. Moreover, even a European woman has no right to appear in public without an abaya. You don’t have to cover your face, and sometimes your hair too. Girls can go without an abaya until they are 12 years old.

Source: blog.comunicom.ru

9. Men mostly wear a dishdasha (a white robe) and a red and white scarf on their heads. The dishdasha is always dazzlingly white and ironed, and an Arab can adjust the scarf on his head for half an hour in front of the mirror so that everything fits beautifully.

10. From point 9 we can conclude that the Saudis are usually in no hurry, because in such attire you cannot run, you cannot jump, and in general you can only sit sedately or slowly move from one point to another. And it’s true, there’s no rush.

11. In general, the Saudis are not very hard-working people, I would even say that they are not hard-working at all. To tell the truth, they are lazy. The phrase “If someone can do it, let him do it!” reflects their attitude to work well. They will definitely promise to do everything tomorrow, but... The phrase “inshaala bokra” is heard in Arabic more often than others, meaning “if Allah allows, then tomorrow.” But it seems that Allah often does not allow it, so if they tell you “tomorrow”, then it is at least a week from now, but you should not delude yourself, it can also mean NEVER. You just need to get used to it. I don’t speak for all Saudis, perhaps there are some who are hard-working and responsible, but I haven’t met anyone like them yet. Although no, one can still be set as an example for others.

12. Saudi colleagues really don’t like answering letters. Very. It is better to resolve all issues over the phone, or even better in person. Eyes to eyes. First, talk about life, and then get down to business. Because a letter is a document, and a telephone conversation is just a telephone conversation, you can then say whatever you want, batting your honest black eyes.

13. The Saudis themselves work mainly in government agencies, and if in some company, then in the HR Department, or top management. All other work is performed by expats (unskilled labor - Indians, Pakistanis, Filipinos, engineers - Americans, Europeans, other Arabs (Jordan, Yemen, Iraq, etc.))

14. There is such a concept - Saudization. Each company must have a certain percentage of the local population on its staff, and not just gasters. The more Saudis in a company, the more company give permission to employ foreigners.

15. Arabs love to go to each other’s office at work and talk about life. And they do it loudly. This endless gyr-gyr-gyr can be heard from everywhere.

16. Returning to point 5, I would like to say that I even understand a little why women are prohibited from driving. To drive a car in this country you need to have balls of steel, because I have never met such crazy drivers anywhere else (well, maybe in Tripoli and Cairo). What’s interesting is that Saudis are usually not in a hurry in life, but they always drive fast and aggressively. You need to be constantly alert to avoid getting into an accident. And I see several accidents every day. I went several times with locals as a passenger, the bricks were laid just like a HURRAY! The usual picture is that you are driving on the far right at a speed limit of 120 km per hour, and a truck carrying camels overtakes you on the side of the road.

17. In Saudi Arabia, there are huge fines for violating traffic rules. The average fine is 500 reals (1 real is 16 rubles). There are cameras all around, there are cars with cameras on the highways, but this doesn’t stop anyone.

18. It is not customary for Saudis to wear seat belts. Child seat? Nope, didn't hear it. Usually the baby sits with his mother in the front seat, leaning out of the window; in the back, a bunch of Arab babies are jumping around on the seat.

19. It’s normal when on a narrow street two Saudis in jeeps stop opposite each other, blocking the street and stand chatting, not paying attention to the others.

20. If you see an empty car on a jack standing on the side of the desert in the desert, you are in Saudi Arabia. Spare tire? What the hell is a spare tire, you chow?

21. If you are standing in a queue of three cars and suddenly another car starts to wedge in between the first and second, you are in Saudi Arabia. Oh, how they don’t like queues. Oh, they don't like it.

22. About queues. I met several queues in institutions. For locals, for non-locals and separately for Paki/Indians/Pilipinas. There are signs right above the queues. Racism, yeah-)

23. White expats usually don’t go to government offices; all issues are resolved by HR people. In cases where your presence is required, an HR person will come with you, lead you by the hand from office to office and explain everything. All you need to do is say hello and smile.

24. In general, if you can’t decide something yourself somewhere, it’s like it’s not supposed to be the case, an Arab and an Arab will always decide between themselves. It's good to have a Saudi friend.

25. And they can easily scribble their scribbles on your documents (for example, in your passport) and they will roll like a document. Even without a seal. Checked personally.

26. In Saudi Arabia there is a rule of the “right hand” - you cannot eat with your left hand or pass anything on, because the left hand is considered unclean (yes, they wash themselves with it). A friend works with Arabs in the field and says that they hit their hands when they forget and take food with their left hand. As a joke of course, but still. I also try to submit documents only with the right one, it doesn’t cost me anything, it’s nice for them.

27. You won’t find it in every Saudi toilet. toilet paper, but in every one, even the most shabby ones, there will be a wash. This is a small shower with a hose. An excellent device, I think.

28. Very little Western music. Mostly Arabic, all around. Even young people in the car mostly listen to their own mournful tunes. Of all the many radio stations, I found only 3 with Western music: one Radio Bahrain and two from the Saudi Aramco company (one with Western pop, the other with American nostalgia).

29. Saudi Aramco (Saudi American Company) is the world's largest mining company. Organized by the Americans in the 30s, at first they had a 50/50 share with the Saudis, then the Saudis squeezed everything out, now the company is 100% owned by locals. Produces a quarter of all oil on Earth. A lot of people from all over the world work for Aramco. The average salary of an experienced specialist (they don’t accept inexperienced ones) is fifteen bucks.

30. Entertainment is officially prohibited in Saudi Arabia. There is not a single cinema in the kingdom (according to some reports, the first cinema was recently opened in Jeddah, in the student town, but I don’t know how true it is).

31. Education in schools is separate: boys separately, girls separately.

32. Each restaurant has two sections: for single men and for families. Because seeing other people's women is not good. Of course, if you are alone, then you will not be allowed into the family section. But even if you came with your wife, you still won’t look at someone else’s aunt, because even in the family section, the tables are separated by screens so that the woman can undress and eat in peace.

33. Even in fast food restaurants (McDonald's, for example) there will be two lines at the cash registers: for women and for others. Food courts are also divided into zones for singles and families. There, the women no longer uncover their covers; they eat in the curtains. She lifted the curtain with one hand and put the fork in her mouth with the other. In shopping centers there is also a division at the checkout counters. Women (or married) separately, singles separately.

34. Okay, you can’t see someone else’s aunt’s face; very often siblings don’t know what their brothers’ wives look like. This is normal.

35. Alcohol is prohibited in Saudi Arabia. Strictly prohibited. Punishable by imprisonment and caning. But the locals somehow smuggle it in, brew moonshine with dates, and so on. You can buy it, but it is very expensive. Whiskey will cost about 300 bucks per bottle.

36. Sticks are painful. Not everyone can withstand caning. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but after 100 blows a person can die. Therefore, there is always a doctor nearby, if anything happens, he will stop the punishment. The person will receive the rest when he is healed. If the punishment is, for example, 200 sticks, then it is divided over several months.

37. Pork is prohibited.

38. Death penalty for drugs.

39. For homosexuality, by the way, too! But there are still a lot of gays here. Since childhood, guys have been separated from girls, at school there are guys all around, at the university there are guys, in cafes you can only sit in a single section, where there are only guys. Well, that's it. They fall in love with each other.

40. Executions are usually on Fridays, in squares. They cut off the head. People are standing and watching. I saw the video, it’s not a pleasant sight, I’ll tell you. The truth in Lately Less and less.

41. There is censorship in Saudi Arabia. Quite tough. In all films, even kissing scenes are cut, not to mention sex scenes. They just stupidly cut it out, not caring that the plot might get confused from this. Even on the radio they cut words from songs. Remember Psy with his gangnam style? There in the chorus “Eeeee, sexy lady”. So in Saudi Arabia he simply sings “Eeeee, ik lady.” Well, okay, sex, of course, but here’s a great song by Sia – Chandelier, where in the chorus “one two three one two three drink”, drink is stupidly cut out.

42. But what touches me most is the censorship in stores. There are specially trained people who paint over the exposed parts of the body of not only women, but also men, on boxes and packaging. Men's underpants are for sale, for example, the legs and arms are painted over. An inflatable pool is for sale, on the packaging there is a happy family - the male children are left as is, the aunt is completely covered with a black marker. In fashion magazines, girls in T-shirts with short sleeves are carefully drawn on with long sleeves. And laughter and sin.

43. Of the religions, only Islam is allowed. All other religions are strictly prohibited. Of course, I wear a cross, but I try not to show it.

44. In addition to the regular police in Saudi Arabia, there is also a religious police, which specifically monitors the implementation of all of the above prohibitions. It is called a “commission for the promotion of virtue” or simply mutawa. They can come up and make a comment if something is wrong. May be arrested for a serious violation. My friend was once stopped before lunch on Friday (the time of the main prayer) and asked why he was not at prayer at this time. The fact that he was not a Muslim did not greatly satisfy them. I sat in their car until the prayer time was over, then they let me go.

45. They pray here 5 times a day (in the holy month of Ramadan - 6 times). During the prayer, the entire kingdom freezes. Shops, all institutions, and gas stations close for half an hour. NOTHING works. There are a lot of mosques. There are several in each area. Every shopping center, every institution has a room for prayer. Each hotel room has a prayer rug, a Koran and directions to Mecca.

46. ​​Before prayer, everything in the toilets is flooded with water. Since you must pray clean, the locals wash themselves very carefully, the usual picture is that you go to the toilet, and there they wash your feet in the sinks.

47. Friday is a holy day! Nobody is working. Everything is closed until lunch, the streets are empty, everyone is praying.

48. The Holy Quran is the most necessary book. It is the official constitution of the kingdom, and it teaches the faithful Muslims what is possible and what is not.

49. As in everyone Arab countries, there is a cult of family. Every Friday they gather in large families, in restaurants, for picnics, etc. They respect their elders very much.

50. Gasoline is very cheap in Saudi. A liter of 91st costs 0.45 reals, 95th - 0.6 (7 and 10 rubles, respectively)

51. For some reason, most Saudi men have long nails. I don’t understand what this is connected with, but I still haven’t gotten used to it, it cringes every time.

52. It is very hot in Saudi Arabia in summer. Often, the temperature in the shade can reach +50C.

53. Therefore, on weekends in the summer, all malls (shopping centers) are full of Arabs and expats. People walk, socialize, and eat in malls. Personally, I’m always cold in these malls, because they turn up the air conditioning at +18C, which is fine for the bundled-up Arabs, but I’m freezing.

54. In general, many expats live in compounds, this is an area separated from everyone else by a high wall, with security. Inside the compound, white women don’t have to wear a black abaya, they wear whatever they want.

How expats live in Saudi Arabia: http://finniken.livejournal.com/189886.html

55. Arab women wear a lot of makeup. Eyebrows as thick as a finger, brightly painted eyes, henna designs on her hands. Everything that can be shown is decorated.

56. Despite the fact that women can only appear on the street covered, modern women's clothing stores do not experience a shortage of clients at all. Arab women actively buy all this to show off at home in front of their husbands.

57. There are no fitting rooms in Saudi shopping malls. Women usually buy clothes, try them on at home, and if they don’t like it, they bring it back. Or in the toilet shopping center They’ll try it on without a mirror and also return it if you don’t like it.

58. There is crime. If you leave a laptop in a car, they can break the window and take it out. In the evening they can take away your money and your phone.

59. Saudis swim in the sea mostly with their clothes on. Especially women. The men are in shorts and T-shirts, the woman is completely covered. Most people don't know how to swim.

60. The beaches, by the way, are also separate. Somehow, out of ignorance, I came to swim at the family beach, for a long time I did not understand why they looked at me disapprovingly. But no one said anything. Large families usually come to the beach, from children to the elderly. With food, barbecues, hookahs.

61. The country is very dirty. Where there is a person, it is dirty. Paper, bags, packaging. The family came for a picnic, ate and drank, and left all the crap behind. It’s a common sight: you’re driving, and a bag of garbage falls out of the window from the car in front. Or stopped at a traffic light, napkins and leftover food are thrown out of the next car.

62. The inside of Saudi cars is usually very dirty too. Very. The interior of a car can be completed in a couple of months. Clean up the trash. Therefore, many people do not remove the polyethylene from the seats for years.

63. Hindus usually clean up trash from the streets. Well, how do they clean it? They pretend. He walks with a bag, picked up one piece of paper, ten remained lying there, moves on.

64. Almost every company has a tea boy. The guy who delivers tea and coffee to offices. He looks in, asks what you want to drink today, leaves, and brings it.

65. In general, getting to Saudi Arabia is not so easy, it’s not tourist country. A visa will be given in the case of 1) if you are at work, 2) if you are going to visit a close relative (daughter, son, mother, father) 3) if you are a Muslim and are performing the holy hajj to Mecca.

66. Mecca - the cradle of Islam, is located in the west of the kingdom. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all over the world visit Mecca every year. Non-Muslims are prohibited from entering this shrine.

67. When you come to work in Saudi Arabia, usually HR takes your passport from you (not always and not from everyone, they didn’t take it from me) and in return issues an iqama (residence permit). The Iqama is considered an official document in the kingdom. To open a bank account or buy a car, you need iqama. Nobody asks for a passport. By the way, everyone has ugly photos on their iqama. The photo is taken from the system, the one taken when going through passport control for the first time. Usually the photo is taken from below and the people are jacked off. When leaving Saudi Arabia, the iqama is surrendered and the passport is returned.

68.After receiving the iqama, you need to get a Saudi driving license. Russians (and many others) are simply issued on the basis of a Russian license, while for example, Indonesians need to pass exams from scratch to obtain a license. The water ID number is exactly the same as that of the Iqama. Photo too, yayyy

69. Rain in Saudi Arabia is very rare. Three to four times a year. And therefore there is no storm sewer here as a class. And therefore, when rain does happen, a state of emergency is declared. Cities are flooded, cars are floating.

70. Even snow can fall in the desert in winter. But once in a while they pee. The last time this happened was in 2013.

71. The deserts in Saudi Arabia are beautiful. The sands are of different colors, from yellow to red. By the way, there are fences everywhere along the roads in the desert; you can only go into the desert at certain exits.

72. Although polygamy is allowed in the Kingdom, there is no one I know who has two (let alone four) wives. Because according to the law, if you have a second wife, be so kind as to provide for her no worse than the first. I mean, the first wife has a house, which means you should also buy a house for the second wife no worse. The first wife has such and such a car with a driver, the second should be no worse. And you should devote equal time to both. It's not a cheap pleasure.

73. Almost every Arab family has Filipino/Indian nannies. There are a lot of children, everyone has an eye on them. And not just nannies. Many families also have cleaners. The usual picture in the mall is an Arab family walking, 3-4 children behind with one or two Filipino nannies.

74. Since entertainment is prohibited, Saudis try to entertain themselves with anything they can. One of the entertainments is car racing (that’s why they crash a lot), riding on two wheels on their side and changing wheels on the go. Another extreme entertainment is slipper racing. This is when you get out of the car at speed and drive on slippers. At speeds over 100 km/h. Don't believe me? Search YouTube for Saudi crazy driver and Saudi crazy skaters.

75. Another entertainment is to cover your car with stones (between the wheels and the bottom). I don't understand what the point of this is.

76. On weekends, neighboring Bahrain and the UAE are flooded with cars with Saudis. They generally call Bahrain “our bar”. Yes, yes, from Thursday to Saturday all the bars are filled with Saudis. Why, under the roof, Allah doesn’t see how they joke.

77. During children's holidays, people travel to Bahrain and the UAE in even greater numbers. There are wild traffic jams at the borders. Entertain the children. Cinemas, water parks, everything.

78. Weekends in Saudi Arabia are Friday - Saturday. A couple of years ago, the weekend was Thursday-Friday, but then they decided to shift it by one day for international business.

79. Mostly they don’t know how to drink. They indulge in junk. I taught one colleague. Well, as he taught, he explained why he gets drunk quickly, and said that the snack is very important. Now he drinks like a human, even his head in the morning has stopped hurting-)

80. They like to ask about everything that is forbidden to them (sex, drinking, etc.) Sometimes they remind me of children.

81.Despite strict prohibitions, local girls still manage to have sex outside of marriage. They meet on social networks and meet secretly. There are houses for visits. Even an expat can get there if they go through the quest and face control. Here's a story about it. http://finniken.livejournal.com/325867.html

82. Saudi Arabia does not celebrate New Year. At all. Even Arabic.

83. By the way, according to the local calendar the year is now 1436.

84. During the holy month of Ramadan, the Saudis fast. You cannot eat or drink during daylight hours. IN last years Ramadan fell during the hottest months, it was hard for the Arabs, not a sip of water all day. Expats are also strongly advised not to drink or eat in the presence of those fasting, and to respect the fast. All offices have shortened working hours during Ramadan.

85. But after Ramadan, the whole country walks for 9 days. Well, maybe not the whole country, but in recent years our office has been on vacation for 9 days.

86. In general, there are officially only 3 holidays in the country. These are Eid al-Fitr, aka Eid al-Fitr (after Ramadan), Eid al Adha, aka Kurban Bayram (also, by the way, 9 days of rest) and National Day.

87. Many websites are blocked in Saudi Arabia. For example, our VKontakte, Chips, not to mention porn sites.

88. It is prohibited to photograph people (especially military personnel, police officers and women). Recently, a guy was arrested because wedding photographs of various couples were found in his possession (he had a photo salon and three photographer aunts customized photos for him from weddings, and he sold them to other men). The photos are decent, no nudity, just faces.

89. Never seen it in Saudi Arabia public transport. Taxi only. It might be there somewhere, but I'm not sure.

90. Sometimes at crossroads you can see women wrapped in abayas who walk from car to car and beg. These are not Saudis. Refugees.

91. There are no orphanages in Saudi Arabia. If the parents are dead/died, the children live with relatives.

92. Here they calmly treat minor accidents with scratches and small dents. They can calmly drive away after such an accident without calling the police and without any complaints at all. A couple of times they drove me lightly into the stern, they just moved away.

93. Traffic jams in the desert are often simply driven around the desert. Along the side of the road in 5 rows.

94. When Saudis drive up to a store, they often don’t even get out of the car. Specially trained Indians run up, take the order, take the money, run away, bring the order and change. For a penny tip.

95. In general, Indians here do a lot of things for pennies. For 100 rials a month, they will wash your car three times a week.

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 the Arab tribes, which back in 622 after the victorious campaign of the Sultan Ottoman Empire 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 are reinforced here historical facts, it is known for certain that the Prophet Muhammad preached for many years on the territory of the Caliphate, 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 performing 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.

" and on the comments to her letter mu.

Yulia (Omsk): Life with a Christian man in Saudi Arabia. Hello, dear girls! First of all, I want to thank the organizer of the site! It’s great when you can turn to complete strangers with a question that’s bothering you and get support and advice. Thank you!!! Secondly, I have this question and really need help, so, dear girls, tell me what you can do, I suffer from a lack of information! I am Russian, I live in Siberia, Omsk. Now I am faced with the choice of whether to connect my life with the man I love, but I have many questions... [read letter]

Marina (Saudi Arabia): Saudi Arabia's rules of life are very different from the Middle East. Response to the letter "Julia (Omsk): Life with a Christian man in Saudi Arabia " and on the comments to her letter.

Good day,I wanted to write a commentary on the letters about Saudi Arabia, but I realized that it would be too long and put it in a separate letter. I couldn’t remain silent because... It seems that out of everyone who discussed the topic, I am the only one who has seen (I see) Saudi Arabia with my own eyes. In no case do I want to enter into an argument or heated discussion with anyone, I just have some additions and clarifications to what I read. I will share them. Saudi Arabia, with its rules of life, is very different from both the near-foreign East and the far-abroad, therefore, in discussions “about the East”, it is not entirely correct to bring it under a common denominator with other Muslim countries. Perhaps my story will be of interest not only to Yulia from Omsk, who is asking for advice about Saudi Arabia.1. It is IMPOSSIBLE to enter Saudi Arabia at the invitation of a man, being a girlfriend, fiancee, girlfriend, friend, etc. ONLY by the official wife. Fiancée visa, etc. - does not exist. The rule is the same for everyone: say, an American working in a local office of an American company cannot invite his American partner to stay here (or even visit for 2 weeks) if they are not officially registered. Even if he occupies a very high position in his company and on weekends drinks cognac at the embassy with one of the Saudi princes. Entry for a woman on a business trip is also quite complicated. To send a woman on a business trip to Saudi Arabia, she really must be an irreplaceable employee (in the sense that it is impossible to replace a male employee). A narrow “trickle” of people who come here to work (I mean the countries of the “first” world) not as “wives of their husbands” - these are embassy employees, the Red Cross and organizations like it, medical workers, teachers for women’s educational institutions, teachers to work in local international secondary schools: British, American, etc.2. Just a couple of years ago, Saudi women received the official right to work. True, they have the right to work, firstly, only after receiving official permission from their husband or father, and secondly, they can only work in PURE women’s teams (as, by the way, do women of other nationalities). There are few such places even in Riat (the capital) - so the law is quite speculative.3. A Saudi woman also has the right to receive an education (whether high school or university) only with the permission of her husband/father (or another close relative, if there is no husband/father). A lot of people are studying to become doctors, lawyers, and economists. There are much fewer people who use their education. For the reasons described above. Universities are purely female. Saudi women (and girls of other nationalities who decided to get an education here) do not sit at the same desk with male students. And they are not in the same building. The teachers are only women.4. A woman in Saudi Arabia does not have the right to drive a car. The rule is for everyone - both for citizens of Saudi Arabia, and for residents, and for tourists/business travelers. A woman (or group of women) has the right to use the services of an official taxi, but has the right to sit only in the back seat. Those. if four girlfriends decide to take a taxi, then they will have to spend money on paying for two cars. By the way, for non-locals, especially those of “European appearance,” using an unfamiliar taxi (even one with “checkers”) is dangerous. It is recommended to use only those recommended (sorry for the tautology). There are many cases of missing women. Therefore, there is no need to tempt fate once again and demonstrate independence. It is illegal to sit alone in a car (i.e. without your husband or immediate family member) with a non-relative. If they stop you and check your documents, the price for this “liberty” will be at least several days in prison. Both for you and for your “driver”. And let this man be your husband’s colleague, your family’s best friend, or your friend’s husband who agreed to give you a ride. This does not change the rule and again applies to everyone: both Saudis and residents. Public buses are absent here at all. Those. the only opportunity for a woman to get to her place of work, study, to the doctor, to go shopping, etc. - this is a taxi or a close male relative (compounds have their own buses for female residents of the compound - they run on a schedule according to different directions, shopping centers, mainly). This point is also an obstacle for many to obtain higher education. Even if the husband/father is not rabid supporters of Sharia, he physically cannot spend his day driving around the female half of the family. A personal driver (this is allowed, oddly enough, because it’s a stranger, not family) and a taxi on a daily basis are also not affordable for everyone. Saudi Arabia is a rich country and the local poverty line is somewhat different from the poverty line in many other countries. And yet, not every family here owns an “oil fountain.” Most Saudis (and maybe all) are clothed, fed, etc., but imagining that ALL of them are millionaires or very wealthy is as naive as thinking that America is a country where only Donald Trumps live. Surely many Saudi women would be happy to enter a separate bus door (as in Iran), but this “luxury” is not provided for them. But seeing a child driving a car is not uncommon here, and the law turns a blind eye to this. A ten-to-twelve-year-old boy driving and a mother and sisters (even eighteen-year-olds) sitting next to her is the norm here. And the norm is even greater outside big cities. So what to do? We need to move around, but the head of the family is at work. How they drive is another sad story. Those who survive take their license at the age of eighteen.5. In public places, all women (both Saudis and foreigners) MUST wear a long black robe dress (in Arabic it is called “ibaya” - I apologize in advance to those who find the word dissonant). Color - only black. Neither dark purple, nor brown, nor anything else. Embroidery, decoration with rhinestones and even diamonds (if you can afford it) are allowed. The shape of the sleeve is perhaps the only part of this outfit on which designers have the right to exercise their imagination. In any case, the sleeve should cover the bone. Upon arrival, this “camouflage robe” should be put on immediately after leaving the plane, before going through customs control. If you don’t have a “robe,” there may be problems already at the airport, even if you are dressed exclusively in modest, dark, closed clothing. About three years ago, an official law was passed according to which non-Muslim foreign women have the right not to cover their heads on the streets and in public places. Therefore, now you can meet a woman with her head uncovered here quite often. All of them, I repeat once again, are non-Muslim foreigners. A Muslim woman (even if she is a foreigner and even a British citizen) MUST cover her head in Saudi Arabia. The Religious Religion is indicated on your Resident Identification Card (which you must carry with you at all times). If the mutafa (religious police) stops and checks the documents (first of all, he will stop if the girl/woman has an “oriental” appearance), the husband of a Muslim woman who does not cover her head faces, as an official punishment, beating with whips (100 blows, if I’m not mistaken) and a large money penalty. And it doesn’t matter that this husband holds a senior position in the Saudi branch of a British company. Neither a position nor acquaintances will save you. In general, there is not much need to talk about the free choice of a Muslim woman. As the “British Muslim woman” who told me about this nuance joked: “When I’m angry with my husband for something, I promise him to walk down the street with my head uncovered.” In England and on the territory of the compound, by the way, she dresses completely European. Despite the fact that the Koran requires covering only the head, Saudi women cover their entire face. Some have uncovered eyes (such a kind of “embrasure” in the “curtain” - I won’t bore the reader with Arabic names). Depends on what the husband allows. Rarely does a Saudi husband allow his head to be covered. At least I have never seen with my own eyes in public place Saudi woman with an open face. Plus, the girl is explained from infancy that if she does not cover her face, then this is very bad and she will not go to heaven. In general, by the age of eighteen, the desire to go to heaven among Saudi women becomes sincere and quite conscious. A girl should start covering her head with the appearance of her first menstruation; the “curtain” comes into her life a little later. Little girls - i.e. from newborns to 9-11 years old they dress like all other children on the planet. Usually brightly colorful (they don’t like things that don’t stain, apparently they know they’ll still have time).6. A woman in Saudi Arabia (both a citizen and a resident/tourist) DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT to walk down the street alone. Prohibited by law. Only accompanied by husband/close relative. Any time of the day. The maximum permissible distance for a “single walk” is two hundred to three hundred meters, maybe five hundred (moving from one shopping center to another) and only in a busy place. In a non-living environment, it is also dangerous. If they calculate that, say, on Mondays at three fifteen you walk alone along this street every time, they could easily steal it. For what? To rape. Then the body will be buried in the desert and it will be useless to search. The whole country is one big desert. Why many local men are so wild (I emphasize, not all) I will probably put in a separate paragraph. By the way, if you think that this is scary tale, which some expats tell other expats, then you are wrong. He told me about what they can “calculate” and steal local. His wife also does not walk alone along deserted streets and alleys. And, as far as you understand, not because he is a domestic tyrant. Although it is a fact that he does not allow her to walk alone.7. No country in the world has such segregation of men and women as in Saudi Arabia. For a Saudi man, any contact with a woman (in the sense of a conversation, a walk, sitting in a cafe, etc.) is possible only if she is his wife. They get married very early. And, indeed, some have several wives. But not everyone can afford four wives. Expensive. Many people can't afford one. For years, decades. There is no prostitution here - those who can afford it financially go to neighboring Dubai or Bahrain for these pleasures. But there are also those who cannot financially afford either a wife or sex tourism. This makes some people go crazy and this leads to cases of atrocities against women (gang rape, etc.). For such men, a woman is a desired object. And they go to any lengths - they look at a woman like a drug addict in the final stage of drugs. Again, I emphasize that I am not generalizing or trying to explain to you that ALL Saudis are like this. It is much easier for Saudis to obtain drugs than alcohol. It even seems that drugs are less prohibited here than alcohol. A car here costs less than a wife (wedding costs). Therefore, the only joy of many young people here is racing along the highway without rules in a stoned / chipped state. For the same reasons of “scarcity of women,” homosexuality flourishes here. And he is not at all as “elegant” as in Hollywood films and American soap operas. All these rules apply to non-Saudis as well. Those. a woman can sit in a restaurant in the company of her husband and his male colleagues, but without her husband with these same colleagues is prohibited. If they check the documents and find out, the punishment is prison (at least for several days) and a fine.8. Restaurants (most, but not all) have a separate entrance for couples and women, and a separate entrance for men only. The men's room looks like an ordinary room in any restaurant in the world, the “family-women's” room consists of many booths with curtains, partitions or separate rooms. The glass facing the street in the “family-female” part is opaque or has a darkening effect (so that it is not visible from the street). There are a couple of restaurants in the capital (they are the most expensive and luxury ones), where the hall is, as it were, common, without partitions. In some coffee shops (particularly Starbucks), the “family rooms” are also as similar as possible to those outside Saudi Arabia. Banks also have a separate entrance for women (and are serviced by women). The zoo and some museums have a system of “even-odd” days. According to the first, women with children (boys under 12 years old) are allowed in; according to the second, men with sons are allowed. Those. The Saudi family is deprived of the pleasure of going to the zoo. The same system applies to “amusement parks” - by the way, there are a lot of them here.9. An exit visa is required to leave Saudi Arabia. A woman receives a visa ONLY with the permission of her man (husband/father). The rule is for everyone: for Saudis, and for expats, and for guest workers. The visa procedure takes about a week. You can have a multiple exit visa. Such a visa for six months costs about 100 euros. A multiple visa is issued after you have left and re-entered once on a single visa. If something, God forbid, happened to your family in another country (say, in Russia) and you URGENTLY need to fly out (God forbid, of course, but, say, for a funeral), and you don’t have a multiple visa, then there is no chance of flying out urgently . Obtaining a visa for expats is a formality, which, moreover, is handled by the company; for “thoroughbred Saudis” it is also, in general, a formality. For other categories, this procedure may take time and effort. How does an average Russian citizen obtain a Schengen visa? And this is if the husband/employer is not against leaving. If you are against it, then you are hostage to the country/system.10. ALL religions except Islam are prohibited in Saudi Arabia. There are no cathedrals, no churches, no Buddhist temples. The import of crosses and other Christian religious symbols is prohibited. Of course, they import everything for small things (I also brought in my gold neck cross), but if they saw it at customs, they would have every right to confiscate it. Wearing a cross openly around the neck (even if it is purely decorative) is PROHIBITED. By law. The consequences, if they see it, are still the same - fine, rod, prison. All together or separately and in what quantity, I won’t lie, I don’t know. For one thing, all attributes of Christmas and, accordingly, the New Year are officially prohibited. No Christmas trees in shopping centers, no decorations on the streets (although in the capital everything is illuminated in the evenings). Not only Jesus is prohibited here, but also Santa Claus, deer, Christmas gnomes and, in general, all Christmas crap, including the Christmas tree, Christmas tree decorations, and home decoration with Christmas lights. All this is available in the compound territories. In the same quantities as in Europe - Christmas trees in the restaurant, Christmas music, etc. And. etc. If you live in a villa outside the compound, Christmas decorations on the outside of the house are punishable by law. During the Christmas period, some restaurants in five-star hotels had a special Christmas menu, but again the word “Christmas” was not on the menu, it was written “special menu for December 24,25,26.”11. The situation with photography in Saudi Arabia is extremely funny - photography is PROHIBITED. By law. Not only people, but also buildings, landscapes, streets, etc. You cannot film inside any public places - post office, shopping center, restaurant, etc. The buildings are hidden, if no one sees, you can theoretically remove them, and I took several pictures. But if the police come up and take away the camera, then there is no use in swearing, just say thank you for not sending me to prison for a couple of days. Those rare photos that appear in the press were taken with the permission of the ministry. If you don’t have a certificate from them, do it at your own peril and risk. They explain this as a threat of terrorism, but this is stupid - all spies have long had cameras the size of a wedding ring. Just a couple of years ago, mobile phones with photo/video cameras were officially banned in Saudi Arabia.12. Also in Saudi Arabia, theaters, cinemas, any musical concerts, any public shows (circus, for example) are prohibited. I heard that there is a Saudi singer who lives and works in Lebanon. Her family has branded her with disgrace and if she enters Saudi Arabia, her family promises to kill her. The Lebanese told me this story. The singer is the most ordinary and quite modest looking. Like, for example, Shakira or J. Lo, she doesn’t dress up or dance. All her sins - she sings songs and does not cover her face. 13. Is it difficult for a European woman to live in Saudi Arabia? After all the passions that I told you, my answer will seem paradoxical and shocking to you. The life of a European woman here can be quite pleasant and comfortable. Within the compounds, life flows in an absolutely European mode. The average compound (there are many of them in Riata, I've been to several) looks like a Southern European four or five star hotel with an area the size of a small European city or a large European village. Here, on the territory of the compound, there are swimming pools, sports clubs, beauty salons, cafes, restaurants, and shops. However, there are many restaurants, cafes and beauty salons outside the compound. And also golf clubs (there is no segregation in them), sports centers (separately for women, separately for men), museums (not many, but there are). Thanks to a taxi, a driver or, in the evening, a husband, all these benefits are within reach. By the way, the restaurants here are very good and cheaper than in Europe. The shopping here is great too. Saudi Arabia is a country with zero tax on everything. And there are sales here. The presence of satellite television and the Internet allows you not to experience hunger for information. The compounds host parties with dancing and music. The import of alcohol into the country is prohibited, but many people import ingredients and make very good wine and beer at home. Drinking alcohol within the compound is not prohibited, and the problem is not to bring alcohol into the compound, but what if it is suddenly found outside the compound. Then - oh, what will happen (everything according to the scheme - rods, fines, prison). Parties are also held in embassies. With real good alcohol, embassies are not prohibited from importing it into the country. For those who want not only to think about the beauty of their nails, but also to be a smart person, there are also many opportunities. Polish a foreign language or learn a new one (language courses at embassies provide a lot of opportunities), take courses in painting, ceramics and other types of creative arts and crafts, take culinary courses, expand professional horizons - for example, get distance education, take distance courses. Universities in many countries provide this opportunity (including getting an MBA). Medical education and advanced training can be obtained here in Riat (internationally quoted diploma). Owners of a number of professions (language teacher, medical worker, hairdresser, fitness trainer and a number of others) who want to maintain themselves in professional tone find work here. Either on the territory of compounds or in “women’s groups”. Working among men (even in the same office of an international company where the husband works) is prohibited by local law. Of course, to someone from the outside, all this may seem like a golden cage (so many restrictions). But, you must admit, if it’s heaven in a hut with a sweetheart, then in a golden cage with a dear (beloved husband) you can not only survive but also live. With pleasure. Legally, a woman (and a European woman too) is COMPLETELY dependent on her husband (whether local or European) in Saudi Arabia. But when there is harmony and love in the family, this dependence is not felt (neither here, nor in Europe), and is not perceived as a “shackle.” Besides, if you know that you can leave at any time. Some Europeans, Americans and other representatives of “first world” countries come here for a few months, some for a couple of years, some live here for years, or even decades. There are very good international schools for children here (by the way, some of the Saudi princes study at the American School). Education in them is expensive (as is a villa in a compound), but for the majority (in the sense of the category I’m talking about), all this is paid for by the company. The fish looks for where it is deeper, the man - where it is better. And for some, this “better” turns out to be in Saudi Arabia. Being in Saudi Arabia “outside the golden cage” is another story. Both the beginning and the end of this story for a European woman will not be so rosy. But why start this story? I don’t undertake to give advice to Yulia from Omsk, there are too many unknowns in her equation (story). I can say one thing, in the event of an unfavorable development of events, here, unlike Europe (Europe is not as a geographical, but as a “mental” concept), the committee for the protection of human rights is on vacation. If a European (or Russian) woman in Europe has somewhere to run away from her husband (police, crisis centers, etc.), then all this is NOT here. Saudi Arabia is a country with many opportunities. But even here they (as throughout the world) are not for everyone. Not for all locals, not for all visitors. Not only highly qualified white-collar workers from Europe, America, etc. come here to work (on business trips). countries (for high salaries, tempting social packages and zero income tax), but also residents of “non-privileged” countries. They often work here in very hard physical labor under hard labor conditions for pennies, but they hold on to their jobs because... in their own country (for example, Bangladesh) they cannot earn even that. “Kopek” is a relative concept. Saudi women? They probably shouldn’t be pitied “en masse” either. Those who have drivers, and servants, and shopping in London, and a spiritually rich life (be it professional or as a hobby), and a full house, and a loving, beloved, caring husband. There's really no need to worry about them. As well as for residents of Europe - owners of the same “set”. If fate turned out to be not so favorable, then, quoting Suzanna from “The Most Charming and Attractive” (and at the same time Michurin), in Europe a woman has a real opportunity “not to wait for favors from nature, but to take them from her.” A Saudi woman has much less of these opportunities. For some of them they are reduced to zero.I would be glad if someone found my letter interesting or helped in making decisions.Best wishes. Marina

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. My 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 a sign of extreme disrespect. This is about the same as if someone grabs you by the butt on a Moscow street, and they joyfully tell everyone about it.

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 purchased 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. Honestly speaking, for all the years lived in the most different countries ah, 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, introduced me to the local culture. Among our acquaintances were people from various 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.

Ksenia Ivanova

How do women organize their lives in a state that ranks 130th out of 134 in the ranking for infringement of women's rights.

The life of the 15 million female population of Saudi Arabia is subject to a mass of prohibitions, but Saudi women go to tricks and extremes to protect their legal status and ensure minimal freedom in the most closed country in the Muslim world.

Car driving

Activist Manal Al-Sharif driving a car

Traditions: In the 21st century, the kingdom remains the only place on the planet where there is a ban on females driving a vehicle. Residents of the country, while abroad, do not miss the opportunity to get behind the wheel. But even having an International Driving Permit in their own country does not qualify them for a driver's license.

Changes: In the summer of 2017, the book “Dare to Drive: The Young Saudi Woman Who Defied the Kingdom of Men” by one of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent activists, Manal Al-Sharif, was published. The publication was preceded by Manal's nine-day arrest for driving last year. She not only got behind the wheel of the car, but also filmed it on video, and later added the video to YouTube, marking the beginning of a grandiose act of disobedience among other compatriots who followed her example. As Manal herself says: “The struggle is not about driving a car. It's about becoming the driver of your own destiny."

Participation in open sporting events

Sarah Attar at the London Olympics Olivier Morin

Traditions: In women's schools and universities, little attention is paid to sports, and the fair half of Saudi society is completely prohibited from attending open sports competitions.

Changes: Only in 2012, Sarah Attar and Vijdan Shaharjani became the first representatives of the Saudi Arabian women's team at the London Olympics. They competed in sports such as athletics and judo. And although the girls’ athletic results were not impressive, their names have already gone down in history.

Guardian Consent

Traditions: It seems crazy, but a woman in Saudi Arabia cannot get married or file for divorce, get an education, work or travel on her own. Even to rent a house, open a bank account or undergo surgery for medical reasons, according to the country's norms, one must first obtain the permission of a mahram - a male guardian.

Changes: Aziza Al-Yousuf is another well-known figure among Saudi women who fight for their rights. Last year, she took an active part in the movement to abolish male guardianship. The campaign quickly gained momentum online, and more than 14,000 of Aziza's compatriots signed a petition demanding the abolition of the guardianship rules.

The country's leadership made concessions. By decree of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud dated April 17, 2017, it was decided that the guardianship system will finally be revised. According to the royal order, government agencies must, within three months, issue new laws to abolish guardianship and provide the most simplified list of procedures in which the consent of a man will still be required. It is still too early to judge how large and deep the changes will be.

Sex segregation rules

Voba Kat

Traditions: To appreciate the severity of the laws in Saudi Arabia, it is enough to know that a woman can be punished simply for talking to a male member who is not a close relative of her.

Public places and institutions in the country are divided into men's and women's areas. Separate training is provided in educational institutions, and clear demarcation is observed in restaurants, cafes, shops and offices. Even international companies such as McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Starbucks provide separate areas for men and women in the country.

Changes: The development of social networks has made it possible to bypass existing prohibitions and choose a circle of at least virtual communication on your own, while showing some caution. And the opening in 2009 of the first joint university for the education of boys and girls gives hope for the liberalization of the existing order in communication between the sexes.

Although the share of the employed female population is 17%, every second working woman has a higher education. For comparison: among men, only 16% can boast of a higher education diploma.

One of those featured on the Forbes list, CEO of the Saudi financial company Olayan and a well-known activist in women’s struggle for their rights, Lubna Olayan was the first to talk about the abolition of gender segregation, arguing for the need to build a developed economy in the country. Although the share of the employed female population is 17%, every second working woman has a higher education. For comparison: among men, only 16% can boast of a higher education diploma. Women use every opportunity to get an education, be it distance learning or studying abroad, which has become possible since 2008 with the consent of a guardian.

And in May 2017, the daughter American President Ivanka Trump, widely known for her activism on women's employment issues, met with Saudi women leaders, later noting on Instagram: “The need for women's empowerment and inclusion transcends borders and cultures. Whether in the United States or Saudi Arabia, we must recognize that women's empowerment is a key driver of economic transformation."

Marry by choice

Zurijeta / Shutterstock.com

Traditions: Although 2005 brought the abolition of forced marriages to the kingdom, an agreement between the father and the future husband of the bride is still mandatory. In such circumstances, when a woman does not take part in negotiations about her own destiny at all, there can be no talk of any independent choice of a spouse.

Changes: The issue moved forward a little in 2016. The woman now receives a copy of the marriage contract and the opportunity to defend her rights, including during a divorce. I would like to believe that the changes will not stop there and in the near future every woman in Saudi Arabia will be able to choose a life partner, guided only by her own desire and the call of her heart.

Right to early release from prison

Traditions: In Saudi Arabia, there is a long-standing tradition in which a prisoner can be released early if he memorizes the Koran or receives a pardon from the king on religious days. public holidays. However, Saudis serving sentences in prison cannot count on their memory or the mercy of the king. A woman can only be released with the permission of her male guardian, who often insists on extending the sentence.

Changes: Women's only weapon in this case is to achieve publicity and attract world attention to their cause. Sometimes this mechanism works and the long-awaited release occurs. “I think it’s our job to fight for our civil rights. The authorities are moving in this direction and are carrying out many reforms, but we ourselves need to develop as a civil society, develop non-profit organizations,” says Princess Amira al-Tawil, an influential Saudi woman, vice-president of the Alwaleed Philanthropies charity foundation, who has repeatedly publicly spoken out in foreign media for expansion of the rights of compatriots.

Dress code

Princess Dina Abdulaziz Al Saud

Traditions: According to the law, a representative of the fair sex can appear in a public place, covering all parts of the body with the exception of the oval of the face, hands and feet. In 2011, it was ordered to hide the eyes from strangers.

In the “land of the two holy places”, in addition to the body supervising compliance with Sharia norms, there is also a special police department for catching “witches”

Changes: Women would not be women if they did not strive to assert their right to dress according to their own taste and the trends of the times. Following local style icons, Saudi women are increasingly venturing beyond the black abaya (traditional long dress), experimenting with colors, styles and embellishments in their wardrobes. Princess Dina Abdulaziz Al-Saud, thanks to her delicate taste and skillful combination of oriental flavor and western innovations in her style, is known far beyond the borders of her homeland. Dina, who took over Vogue Arabia last July, has become an inspiring example for the kingdom's millions of female audiences, and Christian Louboutin even named one of his pairs of shoes in her honor.

Custody of your children

Traditions: The Family Code is another point where the female half of the population of Arabia is infringed upon in their rights. The legal framework of the Saudi Kingdom assumes that children who have reached the age of seven are completely under the authority of their father. During a divorce, joint custody of the children is out of the question if the father expresses a desire for the children to remain with him.

Changes: Thanks to the efforts of women who gained the right to enter the legislative council in 2011, domestic violence has been treated as a criminal offense since 2013. That same year, women were officially allowed to work as family lawyers. Such, albeit minimal, changes towards increasing women's rights give hope that the legal status of wives and mothers in the country will become more secure. And the fact that the number of divorces on women’s initiative has increased recently indicates that women are more confident in their abilities and are prepared to face the difficulties associated with the divorce process and life without a husband.

Witchcraft, magic

Traditions: Islam is the official and only permitted religion in the state. Moreover, in the “land of the two holy places”, in addition to the body supervising compliance with Sharia norms, there is also a special police department for catching “witches”. Any activity to predict the future, fortune telling and conspiracies, witchcraft and magic is prohibited. And no matter how funny they sound modern world These charges and the punishments for them are quite real - from prison time to execution. Since 2009, more than 500 people have been detained under these articles. Two Saudi women were convicted only because talismans were found in their possession.

Changes: Not yet.

Life does not stand still, and activists in Saudi Arabia are in every way bringing closer the day when they will be able to have all the rights and freedoms that are given to every person from birth - regardless of gender and country of residence.