Saudi women often perceived as oriental princesses from luxurious palaces, their life is closed and full of secrets. And only a few photos in glossy magazines can demonstrate how amazing beautiful saudi women. Their appearance, characteristic of Eastern women, causes admiration and even more questions - how do such beauties live, how do they take care of themselves, do they follow fashion?

Features of the appearance of Saudi beauties

According to the invariable traditions and rules of this Arab country, women of Saudi Arabia hide their appearance from prying eyes, only parents (in childhood) or husband (after marriage) can admire their beauty. Like other residents of the country, beautiful Saudi women wear traditional attire (abaya), completely covering the body. Even the heads of beauties are covered, girls and women can leave only their eyes open. Girls are taught to such rules from childhood and in adulthood they do not experience any particular problems with the outfit. But under the abaya, a variety of outfits can be hidden - simple and inexpensive, luxurious and spectacular. It is interesting that traditional clothes that cover the whole body are worn not only by the wives of sheikhs and housewives who spend most of their time at home. In this outfit, women of Saudi Arabia of various professions and occupations get to work, to business meetings. Every year the country has a growing number of business ladies who also do not change the traditions in dress.

Exotic beautiful Saudi women have an appearance, the main features of which are also characteristic of other residents of eastern countries. They have dark long hair. They have a beautiful silky sheen. The eyes are also dark, brown or green, have a characteristic oriental slit, are often very large and simply fascinate with their gaze. The figures of Saudi women also have their own characteristics - they are very feminine, graceful, have rounded shapes. Many women attract the attention of men with the beautiful shape of the bust and hips, but, unfortunately, the dark dense fabrics of the abaya most often hide feminine charms. In youth saudi arabia women slender and graceful, but few of them remain slender even in adulthood - these are the physique features of Arab women.

See how attractive beautiful saudi women, you can in the photographs of oriental actresses or the most famous beauties of the country. This opportunity should be taken, because most often oriental princesses are hidden under a dark and dense veil. The color of the abaya is always only black, no other options are allowed, sometimes the robe is only decorated with embroidery or may have an interesting sleeve design. But such a strict outfit makes a woman a real mystery to men.

Top 12 most beautiful women in Saudi Arabia included well-known Saudi and foreign actresses, singers, TV presenters, a model, a representative of the royal dynasty, who have Saudi roots in one or two parents, and also live in Saudi Arabia or outside of it.

12. Dina Shihabi / دينا شهابي‎‎(born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) is a Saudi-Arabian actress working in the United States.

10. Lojain Omran(born 1982, Khobar, Saudi Arabia) - Saudi TV presenter, goodwill ambassador.

9.Asil Omran / Aseel Omran(b. November 12, 1989, Khobar, Saudi Arabia) is a Saudi singer who is known not only in Saudi Arabia, but also in other countries of the Middle East after participating in the reality show "Gulf Stars and Heya wa Huwa". She signed the Arab world's largest record label. She is the sister of a TV presenter Lojan Omran. Asil's childish appearance and young age made her Saudi Arabia's first young star.

7. Reem Abdullah(born February 20, 1987, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) is a Saudi actress. She starred in the series "Tash Ma Tash", in the film "Wadjda". The works received very bright and positive reviews from critics.

6. Heba Jamal / Heba Jamal/ هبة جمال (born 1990) - Saudi journalist and TV presenter. Was named as one of the most influential Arab women in 2012. In 2011, Heba also entered the list "100 Most Powerful Arab Women". She ranks 40th among women entrepreneurs, economists, journalists who influence the business arena in the Arab world and the Middle East. Heba is the only youngest Saudi woman working in the media.

5. Nadine Al-Budair / Nadine Al-Budair / نادين آل بدير (born 1989) - Saudi TV presenter, journalist on the news channel.

1. Princess Ameera Al-Taweel / Princess Ameera Al-Taweel / الاميرة اميرة بنت عيدان بن نايف الطويل العصيمي العتيبي‎ (b. November 6, 1983, Riyadh) - Saudi princess and philanthropist. He is vice chairman of the Alwaleed Philanthropies charity foundation. Amira has spoken publicly in a number of US media outlets to support women's right to drive in Saudi Arabia, as well as greater empowerment in Saudi society. Due to a mismatch of views and bold statements, in 2013 Amira divorced her husband, Prince Al-Walid ibn Talal, who was 28 years older than her.

It is said that women in Saudi Arabia have more taboos than rights. They are not allowed to drive, leave the house

10 things women shouldn't do in Saudi Arabia

 07:01 March 11, 2017

It is said that women in Saudi Arabia have more taboos than rights. They are not allowed to drive a car, leave the house without a male escort, and attend sporting events. At the same time, most of the prohibitions are not officially spelled out in either secular or religious laws, they simply exist at the level of traditions. But as a punishment for breaking these traditions, they are often even killed.

Do something without the consent of the male guardian

A male guardian - most often a husband, father or brother - is the person who completely controls the life of any woman in Saudi Arabia. Without his permission, a woman cannot enter into or break a marriage, get an education, work, go somewhere abroad or within the country, and even have a planned operation. Every step, every action requires the consent or direct participation of the male guardian. Even just to communicate with a male neopukun strictly prohibited.

Do something that could reflect on the honor of a male guardian

At the same time, a male guardian who protects and takes care of a woman has the right to demand prudent behavior from her. It is believed that if the guardian loses control over women, he will lose honor in the eyes of society. And this is very serious. If a woman, by her behavior, spoils the honor of a male guardian, he has the right to punish her and, in extreme cases, even kill her. And this is not just some outdated dogma. Honor killings happen every day in Saudi Arabia. In 2007, the father killed a young girl when he found out that she was talking to a young man on Facebook. The most conservative citizens then called on the government to ban Facebook entirely because it, they said, incited lust and social discord by encouraging sexual intercourse. For a woman in Saudi Arabia, the arrest of the religious police is the greatest shame. And they can be arrested for anything. So in 2009, two young girls, after being arrested as a result of communicating with strangers, were publicly shot by their brothers, in the presence of their father.

Appear on the street with exposed body parts

According to Sharia, so that an outsider is not tempted by a woman, she is obliged to cover all parts of her body in a public place, except for the oval of the face, hands and feet. But in some provinces of the country, women are required to cover their entire face, except for their eyes, and leave only their hands open. However, since 2011, religious police have begun requiring women to close their eyes as well, citing that they can sometimes be too "sexy."

Leave special "women's" areas in public places

There is a pronounced gender segregation in Saudi Arabia. It affects all women, whom male guardians try to limit as much as possible from the surrounding society and any contact with unfamiliar men. Any solemn events are held with the separation of men and women. Most houses in the country have separate entrances. Moreover, any man, except the owner, is forbidden to enter the women's part of the house. All public places are also separated: shopping centers, amusement parks, beaches, public transport, educational institutions. Moreover, quite often, schoolchildren of both sexes study not only in different buildings, but also at different times, so that they do not in any way overlap with each other. Violation of the principles of sexual segregation, especially by women, is equated with a crime.

Work where she likes

Let's start with the fact that for women in Saudi Arabia, any wage work is not encouraged at all. From early childhood, girls are taught that their main role is to give birth and raise children, maintain a family hearth, and take care of the family. A woman, of course, can work, but only in places specially designated for women and not in all areas of activity. You can work as a doctor, nurse, teacher. But this is only if you managed to get a suitable education first, which is also extremely difficult to do. In addition, a woman in Saudi Arabia can take any job only with the permission of a male guardian.

Attend outdoor sporting events

Despite the fact that there are women's sports teams in the country, they cannot participate in any more or less significant sports competitions. Until 2008, Saudi Arabia was the only country in the world that did not represent women in the Olympics. In schools, Saudi girls do not receive any sports education, and they have extremely limited access to other sports facilities. But women are strictly prohibited from attending open sporting events.

Drive

The movement of women around the country is already very limited. Without the accompaniment of a male guardian, they are not even allowed to leave the house, not to mention any trips or travels. Women are banned from driving and are not issued state driving licenses even if they have foreign driving licences. Most Saudi scholars and religious figures consider driving a car by a woman a sin. For example, Professor Kamal Subhi argues that if women are allowed to drive cars in a country, in ten years there will be no virgins left there. And another influential Sheikh Saleh Lohaidan once said that if a woman drives a car, she can give birth to a child with birth defects. In fairness, it is worth noting that the ban on driving cars by women is violated everywhere in the country's rural areas.

Use public transport

As a rule, women in Saudi Arabia cannot use public transport either. Firstly, because it is not safe in terms of contacts with strangers. Secondly, many transport companies generally do not transport women. Although, some trains have special sections with a separate entrance, located at the end of trains, especially for women.

Choose your spouse

Despite the fact that in 2005 the religious committee officially banned the practice of forced marriage, the contract between the groom and the father of the bride is still considered binding. The situation is further complicated by the fact that there is no minimum age for marriage in the country. Most of the highest religious figures believe that a girl is suitable for marriage from 9 years old, and a boy from 15. They also believe that a girl must be married before puberty. There can be no question of any conscious choice of a spouse. In addition, this practice has an extremely negative impact on women's education. Girls who entered into an early marriage (before 16) then, as a rule, no longer receive a full-fledged education and, accordingly, cannot work. Do not forget that polygamy is officially allowed in the country. A man is allowed to have up to four wives.

Get out of prison early

And here the most interesting begins. In Saudi Arabia, the religious police can arrest a woman for literally anything. For example, for “wrong clothes”, for communicating with an outsider. And even if a woman is a victim of rape, she can be punished with a prison term for not covering her body enough or being familiar with the future rapist. At the same time, there is a tradition in the country that a prisoner can be released early if he memorizes the Koran, or receives a pardon from the king on the occasion of a holiday or coronation. But women prisoners are deprived of such privileges. Moreover, even after a full term of imprisonment, a woman can only be released from prison with the permission of a male guardian. And it often happens that guardians insist on an increase in the sentence, or even completely refuse women. And then they are forced to sit in prison for many years.

A widely publicized incident occurred in 2015, when a woman caught her husband in adultery with a maid and secretly filmed a kissing couple on video, after which she published it on the Internet. This woman herself now faces imprisonment and a fine of 87.6 thousand euros for "insulting the honor and dignity of her husband."

Al-Mamlayakatu al-Arabiyatu al-Saudiiyatu - this is the name of the kingdom, which among themselves its inhabitants call briefly “al-Saudiya”.

Religion as a way of life

Saudi Arabia is a country where Islam is not based on fear, but on an internal understanding of the “word of Allah”, it is located in the very heart of the Islamic world, bordering on Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Iraq, and the Emirates. This is the homeland of the Arab tribes, who back in 622, after the victorious campaign of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Selim II, adopted 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 here are supported by historical facts, it is known for certain that the Prophet Muhammad preached for many years precisely on the territory of the Caliphate, during his reign the infidels were expelled from the Hijaz. To this day, non-believers are strictly forbidden to live on the territory of sacred Mecca and Medina.

Local residents live according to the "letter of the Koran", the judiciary, of course, exists, but it is based on the norms of Sharia. Here they cut off a hand for theft, a head for violence. Religious police operate here, which not only monitors Muslims, but also infidels, who are forbidden to perform religious worship in the country, demonstrate 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.

Enterprises and shops also do not have a fixed working time, the only exception is administrative bodies and life-supporting organizations. No one works on Friday - it's a day of prayer.

In stores, you are unlikely to find toys in the form of animals. The Koran believes that it is impossible to create them, because otherwise a person will try to become like Allah. It's funny, but in cities men are forbidden to walk their pets, but women can.

Women of Islam

A lot is said about the situation of women in Saudi Arabia, noting their insecurity and powerlessness. Indeed, a woman is completely subordinate, but this is not as bad as it seems, because she is “entrusted to him by Allah”, which for the faithful 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 when outside the home. Each of them has her own "guardian" - an older man who monitors the fidelity 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 to be a bride at a wedding.

Meanwhile, women work, lead an active life, but, however, only between women. It is forbidden to visit, sit at the same table with them, and even more so to enter into an argument.

Women can't have a driver's license, so only men drive. The bans also apply to foreigners, so it will not be possible to walk around the capital in a European dress.

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 leaders 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 old dream.

The next morning, this idea no longer seemed so tempting, but it was too late to refuse.

Before the trip, I began to wool the Internet in search of information about this country. Five years ago, it was almost impossible to find something 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 been in Riyadh for eight years and in my eyes was a mega-specialist on life in Saudi Arabia. He began to tell me how dangerous it was here, that without my husband I couldn’t go anywhere at all. I believed him, but soon realized that all these horrors exist only in the imagination of our friend. Everything turned out to be much easier. Yes, of course, there are specifics, but nothing terrible or especially difficult awaited us.

This perception of Saudi Arabia is inherent in many foreigners.

They come here expecting horrors, then live in gated communities and travel 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, they don’t see the country and they don’t communicate with the locals.

The only thing that turned out to be really unexpected for me was that they would not talk to me everywhere. I used to solve all my problems myself, but here I had to constantly involve my husband and ask him for help in the most simple everyday matters.

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 an outside woman and look at her. If I come alone, then they communicate with me without looking into my eyes. Staring at a woman is a sign of extreme disrespect. This is about the same as if on a Moscow street they grab you by the ass, and even happily tell everyone about it.

If an accident occurs, but the cars receive minor damage, the drivers may not even stop, let alone call the police.

Of the entertainment here, only shopping and restaurants. There are a lot of shops, and they are all huge. The selection of goods is gigantic. Several times a year discounts, and quite large. A huge number of goods can be bought cheaper by 70-90%. Although, of course, there are some peculiarities. Many stores bring in old collections that no one buys in Europe anymore.

There are also a lot of restaurants, for a variety of tastes. But almost all of them, even the most expensive ones, fall short of luxurious 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.

The Russians are completely normal. To be honest, in all the years we lived in various countries, we did not encounter 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 colleague of her husband turned out to be an absolutely wonderful person. It was with great pleasure that he immersed us in the Saudi reality, helped us to adapt, showed us interesting places, introduced us to the local culture. Among our acquaintances were people from various countries, and this made it possible to constantly learn something new. I did not regret at all that once we decided to go to Saudi Arabia. Yes, we will not stay here for many years, despite all the financial benefits, but we will take away only pleasant memories from here.

Xenia Ivanova

There are many rumors and tales about how women live in Saudi Arabia, which, at first glance, arouse interest, but do not cause doubts, since this country is unknown to a simple layman, and he takes on faith everything that he once heard somewhere.

It is usually argued that women live there very hard: no rights, no freedom of speech, no opportunity to somehow express themselves. However, if you travel around Europe or other countries of the world and about Russia, you can hear a huge number of fables that have no basis. The only truly correct way to find out the truth is to travel to Saudi Arabia.

In fact, the position of a woman in the ordinary and Muslim world is a concept of different poles. And a girl who has arrived, for example, from Europe, will immediately feel the restrictions and prohibitions. So, women are forbidden to be on the street without a man, and he must be a spouse or close relative who has reached the age of majority. Arabian women cannot drive a car either. In addition, they cannot walk in anything other than a long black robe that covers the body from head to toe, a kind of dress-coat called an abaya, and if the woman nevertheless committed an illegal act, the husband bears responsibility for her. All this information is easy to find on the Internet, but it is much more interesting to make sure "live" of the veracity of the assumptions.

The most difficult thing, however, upon arriving in the country (which is not so easy, especially for women who are extremely difficult to obtain a visa), is to ask a real Arab woman about the conditions, since the catch is that it is forbidden for women to be in the presence of men who are not relatives. In addition, the fair sex from Saudi Arabia cannot visit absolutely all public places. The only way is to get an invitation to visit from local residents.

Housing in Saudi Arabia

By the way, remarkable features can be found not only in the way of life, but also in the dwellings themselves. As a rule, this is a cluster of one-story buildings with its own rather large courtyard and garden. Indoors, there are usually very low sofas, on which the people of Saudi Arabia like to sit much more than on the usual high (uncomfortable for them) European chairs. Earnings for men, as it is right, are quite large, therefore it is not uncommon to find huge plasma screens and rather expensive furniture and appliances in houses.

Women and outfits

When guests come to the husband, the wife usually does not come out to them, and if something is necessary, she calls the internal telephone. However, they are allowed to see women who come to visit. By the way, they walk around the house in ordinary and familiar European clothes. The difference between street and home outfits is explained by the fact that traditionally women are used to keeping their beauty from prying eyes, showing it only to relatives. For them, this is a kind of comfort zone, and women do not suffer from this at all. The custom has been around for many years, and women simply take it not just for granted, but as correct and the only true.

Even if a family friend is a man, a woman can only go out to him in black attire, but with women it’s easier - they can see them in ordinary clothes. By the way, Arab girls prepare amazingly delicious national coffee with a nutty flavor, reminiscent of weakly brewed tea in color. The ability of a wife to properly brew such coffee is a reason for the true pride of her husband.

In addition to the modern clothes that they wear in the house, women do not only speak Arabic. Almost every local girl can boast of knowledge of English at a decent level, and some speak other languages. By the way, all abayas are the same and monotonous only at first glance, in fact they come from different fabrics, can be decorated with sparkles or rhinestones, and putting on such an outfit correctly is not so easy, there is a certain sequence. And abayas differ in style, the fashion for which changes every season, as for the most ordinary outfits. Women in Saudi Arabia are no different from European or American women in following trends.

It is impossible not to note the practicality of such black clothes in everyday life. An Arab woman is not forced to dress up or make up to go out, say, to a store or somewhere on an urgent matter. It is enough just to throw an abaya on everyday clothes (even on pajamas or a bathrobe) and the woman immediately looks decent and decent. She doesn't even need to paint. All this saves quite a lot of time, which can be used for more necessary or interesting things.

Beneath the black robe, which seems to those unfamiliar with Arab culture to be an unchanging, monotonous thing, women from Saudi Arabia wear ordinary clothes, no less fashionable than non-Muslim women are used to wearing. But only family and friends see her. By the way, Arab women attend parties where they come in fashionable dresses and sets. They wear shorts, miniskirts, and tops. Of course, with a black suit on top, which you can take off at a friend's house. Naturally, there are no men at such parties.

arab girls

You should also not believe the information from the Internet, which says that Arab women are stupid and obsessed exclusively with household chores, but apart from that they don’t know or see anything. On the contrary, they are quite well educated and modern. However, the fact that they are unlikely to be frank with a stranger, especially if it is a man, and generally talk for a long time, makes us consider Arab women downtrodden and modest.

By the way, they have their own half in the house, where there are usually modern household appliances and almost every home has Internet access, so you should not assume that Arab women live in an information vacuum. They watch movies online, sit on social networks and use Skype.

Empowerment of girls in Saudi Arabia

Women in Saudi Arabia are not slaves. The fact that they wear a black abaya, often, by the way, decorated not only with rhinestones, sparkles, but with embroidery and even precious stones, does not mean at all that there is a weak-willed creature under it. The rights of women are protected by the marriage contract, violating which the man is liable and the punishments for offenses against women are often much more severe than in other states. Moreover, they can concern not only such egregious facts as assault, for example, but also ill-treatment (rudeness is also considered) or even the failure to provide decent living conditions. In addition, Arab women have the opportunity to work. With certain restrictions, but nonetheless. They also receive a good education.

It is worth talking about training separately. Saudi Arabia has special universities for both men and women (separate, of course). Moreover, not only the fair sex, but also men teach, but without direct contact. The teacher is in one room, the students are in another, and the training is conducted using a huge plasma screen. If one of the students has a question, she can call the lecturer on a special internal phone. Women themselves believe that their education is quite good. True, some gaps in geographical education are revealed in communication, which, however, can be attributed to the fact that confusing the names of places where you have never been is not so scary. You should not just think that they never leave their country or city. It happens that women travel with their husbands, but this is not as popular, for example, as in Europe.

Women from Saudi Arabia know very little about the life of other peoples and are very interested when they manage to meet a woman of a different nationality (since it is forbidden to communicate with strangers), they ask about traditions, national clothes, and food. In general, they are curious about Europeans all the information that Europeans themselves are interested in in them. They learn the strange habits of other women and men for them from someone's words, or by reading articles on the Internet.

Arab women often study not in order to work, they are interested in knowledge in itself, and work only in terms of passion or desire to be useful - a man traditionally earns money. If he parasitizes, this is not just a disgrace, but also, in a sense, an offense. Although traditions do not allow Arabs not to provide for their wives and sit idle.

There are special institutions in the country, for example, banks, where both visitors and staff are women. True, one has to work not without restrictions, but in general it is allowed to do this, contrary to the beliefs of visitors. The most significant nuance is that in order to start working or studying, a woman must obtain permission from the head of the family (spouse, father, brother).

Marriage in Saudi Arabia

Many also believe that getting married in Saudi Arabia is mandatory for those just out of childhood or adolescence. In fact, the age for marriage there, as elsewhere in the world, is on an upward trend. Often Arab women get married after finishing their university studies. Marriage at 25 or 27 is not considered out of the ordinary, although the older generation is not entirely happy and agrees with this state of affairs.

By the way, about the tradition of marrying a girl to a "pig in a poke", that is, a man to whom she not only has no feelings, but whom she has never seen at all. In fact, things are somewhat different. Indeed, the spouse is chosen by the parents. The parents of the bride and groom also agree on the conditions of the wedding. But the future husband and wife first meet about a month before the proposed wedding, where they have the opportunity to get to know each other. If they do not like each other or cannot find a common language, relatives most likely will not insist on marriage.

Auto

As for the ban on driving a car, you can’t argue with it, of course, but Arab families usually have a driver who is ready to take a woman wherever she needs at any time, and you don’t have to do housework yourself either, since most often there are special housekeepers.

Conclusion

Arab women do not envy European women. On the contrary, they are horrified that they are forced to constantly be in front of other people, unable to hide their faces and bodies. However, it could not be otherwise, because both of them were brought up in completely different cultural conditions. Cases when a wife provides for a husband who stays at home seem wild and unnatural for an Arab woman. They are proud that they can not work without a desire, but at the same time, they constantly feel surrounded by care. Women from Saudi Arabia, as a rule, do not experience dissatisfaction with their lives.