For men, all clothing worn in public areas (e.g., outside the hospital grounds and housing complexes) should be conservative. This means no sleeveless shirts, no shorts, etc. For women, they are required to wear an abaya (a dark, lightweight cloak that drapes over your clothing) and a scarf that covers the hair when they are in public areas – and both should be black. Non-Muslim expatriate women are not required to veil. Abayas (and scarves) can be purchased throughout Saudi Arabia, and women are taken abaya shopping during the orientation period. This doesn’t mean that you can’t work out or go to the beach. Western-only private beaches and pools are available, where, of course, bathing suits can be worn. Sportswear can be worn at women-only and men-only fitness facilities. And at home, you can wear whatever you wish.

At Saudi Arabia, the legislation till present days does not allow women to drive cars. This question is being periodically discussed in the local social circles but the decision seems to be still far away from reality. The opposition of this “democratic liberty” consists of the religious persons, claiming that a car would allow them liberally travel across the country and meet other men without control of the relatives, what is unacceptable according to the strict Islamic laws.

In their turn, the activists of the women rights movement declare that there is nothing in the Islamic laws what would prohibit them to drive a car and lots of Saudi women are working in the governmental institutions and private companies just like men what is actually not prohibited by the Islamic laws. The initiators of the project, some of those are politics, say that in order not to raise up resentment of the population and not to raise up lots of problems, the practice of women driving should be first started in big cities. Such as Jedda and Al-Ryadh. In other districts it could raise unnecessary emotions.

Unlike the other Islamic countries, in Saudi Arabia women are not allowed to drive cars. They are also not allowed to take part in the voting.