In the next few days we will be talking about all matters concerning relocating to Saudi Arabia so the Cultural adjustment can be done properly and you can make of your long stay in Saudi Arabia a rewarding learning period.
The constant economical growing of the Middle East countries towards the development of the oil industry have obligated western people to move to countries such as Saudi Arabia due to work and economical evolution. For westerners having to move to any of the Saudi’s cities must imply that they have to study carefully the laws and cultural facts of the country previous to the moving so the cultural adjustment can properly done.
We are all aware of the cultural differences between middle eastern and westerns, starting for the practices of religion, followed by a number of moral and social codes that clearly have induced a visible gap when it comes to mixing in with locals as an expatriate.
Saudi Arabic’s religious and cultural costumes are particularly strict on women in general but it can be a great challenge for expatriate women born and raised in a western environment.
If you are a woman who’s soon going to move to Saudi Arabia as an expatriate you should be aware of the not so few rules women have to endorse to avoid reprehension within Saudi Arabia’s country limits.
The rules are almost the same in the whole country, aside from Jeddah which is the second largest city and it’s known as “The western area”. Expatriates tend to concentrate within the compounds for foreigners located in Jeddah and Riyadh (the capital and biggest city of Saudi Arabia) even here, a few rules does still apply though not as strictly as in the rest of the country.
The figure of the guardian
In Saudi Arabia no women should ever leave her home without the companionship of her “guardian”. This “guardian” should be a man who’s related to the woman, usually her husband or father, but the guardianship could be passed on to her brother or any other close relative. All men have a Namus (it’s a code of “honor” that all men must respect. A part of the Namus is for the men to take care of the women in their family).
The guardian has duties and rights over the woman in many aspects of her civil life. Although for western women this may seem a violation of freedom for Arabic women is an act of protection that comes from her men and they are appreciative of it. Saudi men and women in many occasions have listed guardianship as part of women’s rights in the Muslim countries.
The acceptance of guardianship has been debated by groups of liberal activists who assure guardianship takes away women’s freedom by treating them as “merchandice”.
The system is said to emanate from social conventions, including the importance of protecting women, and from religious precepts on travel and marriage, although these requirements were arguably confined to particular situations.” Depending on the guardian, women may need their guardian's permission for: marriage and divorce; travel, if under 45; education, employment, opening a bank account, elective surgery, particularly when sexual in nature.
Purdah
Purdah is the practice that forbids women to have any contact with men outside her immediate relatives. Its also known as the curtain which makes sharp separation between the world of man and that of a woman, between the community as a whole and the family which is its heart, between the street and the home, the public and the private, just as it sharply separates society and the individual.
Purdah requires women to avoid men and to cover most of their bodies. Purdah applies between members of the opposite sex who are not blood related or married.
The Mutaween , known as the religious police, can detain Saudis who violate religious law. Women can be charged with prostitution for socializing with a man who is not a relative or husband, the punishment can include time in jail, and a number of lashes that’s determined by the Mutaween. Purdah’s practice has relaxed after the September 11, 2001 attacks although it still is very prominent in rural areas and smaller cities.
Gender segregation
Sex segregation is expected in public. Non-mahram (unrelated) women and men must minimize social interaction. Most offices, banks, and universities have separate entrances for men and women. According to law, there should be physically and visually separate sections for the sexes at all meetings including weddings and funerals. Companies traditionally have been expected to create all-female areas if they hire women. Public transportation is segregated. Public places such as beaches, amusement parks, and ice-skating rinks are also segregated, sometimes by time, so that men and women attend at different hours. Violation of the principles of sex segregation is known as khalwa.
Many Saudi homes have one entrance for men and another for women. Private space is associated with women while the public space, such as the living room, is reserved for men. Traditional house designs use high walls, compartmentalized inner rooms, and curtains to protect the family and particularly women from the public.
