From the past experiance, build up Mecca and Madinah's pages, I received so many enquaries from ladies and gentlemen here regards on Islam generally and Saudi Arabian's culture in detail. So, with this page ( Jeddah ), I hope all questions and enquaries been answerd.
To understand Saudi Arabia, you need a few basic facts :-
1...YOU CAN NOT get a visa for tourism here, it dosen't exist.
2...You CAN NOT travel here independently, fly in, rent a car, do what you want. You MUST have a sponsor, a job, a reason to be here !!
3...Now, if you happen to be a woman, it's even more restrictive. Women can't drive, stay in the hotel without MAHRAM'S permission, in some town can't walk alone on the street !!
4...To CLARIFY, a Mahram is a MALE relative like brother, husband, grandpa or father.
5...All facilities are SEPARATE, every office, restaurants, building, for singles (men) and families (women & family). In some historic sites, museums, Prophet's Mosque in Madinah and so on, they have posted hours for Women and men. In some places, woman can go alone, but some, it's written, 'woman without Mahram Prohibited'. The KFC & McDonalds are seperated into 2 counters and 2 dining rooms.
6...Job are separate, so with the thousands of well educated Saudi women, there are women's hospitals, banks, schools, universities and so on, so women do have employment opportunities, but not every field is open to women, so it is very restrictive. Saudi women do manage it,though, as most have a driver to take them where ever they want to go.
7...If one woman sat down, no man would sit in the entire row. Even in the hotels or appartment, a man will not get on an elevator with a woman.
8...Every women, whether Saudi, Foreign, Muslim or NOT, MUST absolutely wear ABAYA under her cloth when she goes out. Abaya is a black long dress, sort of like a judge's robe. Must cover your hair with scarf, no need to cover your face. Saudi women often cover their faces except for their eyes.
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on Sep 12, 2002
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