{"id":1557,"date":"2019-01-18T19:06:04","date_gmt":"2019-01-18T19:06:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pinoy-ofw.com\/saudi-arabia\/?p=1557"},"modified":"2025-06-09T03:57:54","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T03:57:54","slug":"expat-discover-saudi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pinoy-ofw.com\/saudi-arabia\/1557-expat-discover-saudi.html","title":{"rendered":"11 Things Expats Discover When They Settle in Saudi Arabia"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a country that is perceived to have more restrictions than others, it is understandable a traveler may pay more attention when visiting Saudi Arabia.<\/strong><\/p>\n

But while perception is reality, there are a few exceptions that one can only experience once he or she arrives in Saudi Arabia to experience it.<\/p>\n

Saudi people are often friendlier than you think<\/h2>\n

Soon newcomers will realize that Saudi citizens, notably the younger generation and those who have traveled to other countries (and learned other cultures) tend to be more open-minded and show respect to others of different cultural or religious backgrounds. This behavior is especially true as long as their beliefs and values are also respected.<\/p>\n

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Covering up is not entirely mandatory<\/h2>\n

Wearing an abaya is mandatory (although a Saudi crown prince says it’s not). But for foreigners, covering hair and face is not absolutely required.<\/p>\n

You, however, are required to cover your hair and face during prayer times and when a hai\u2019a member (someone from the religious police, also known as Mutaween) is around. If locals abide by it, there\u2019s little or no argument a foreigner should not follow.<\/p>\n

Wearing thobe and abaya means not worrying about what to wear underneath<\/h2>\n

Saudis wear traditional garments — thobe (also known as thawb) for men and abaya for women. For us who don\u2019t wear them, it may take a while to dig into our closets to find a suitable dress to wear.<\/p>\n

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Photo by Michael Wave<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But for those who have thobe and abaya, there are more important things to do than worry about what to wear; wearing house clothes underneath is not uncommon.<\/p>\n

Present Iqama for every transaction<\/h2>\n

When dealing with any government or business transaction, presenting your iqama or residence card<\/a> is often required. This may not be a shock to us who also use national cards to validate identity.<\/p>\n

Use of iqama<\/a> is often necessary as it contains important personal information such as name, religion, nationality, sponsor or if visa is valid or expired.<\/p>\n

Religious police exist to check if Muslim laws are obeyed<\/h2>\n

You may observe men in thobe accompanied by uniformed officials walking around. They are Saudi Arabia\u2019s religious police and they are out there to make sure Muslims abide by their laws.<\/p>\n

For example, during prayer times every Muslim attends group prayers or shops are closed and unrelated males and females do not mingle. You\u2019ll notice they\u2019re more likely to accost Muslims rather than foreigners for violations of such laws. However, it helps to err in the side of caution.<\/p>\n

Arabs themselves also experience shock<\/h2>\n

Citizens from other Arab countries, even those within the Gulf Cooperation Council of which Saudi Arabia is a member, may find themselves in a new environment not experienced at home.<\/p>\n

Perhaps not much on culture, but the mere fact that certain cities like Riyadh hold so much space. Also, every law should be obeyed<\/a>. Otherwise, offenders are likely fined or even sent to prison for petty infractions such as crossing on a red light or throwing rubbish out of a car window.<\/p>\n

Not all Saudi people eat with bare hands<\/h2>\n

One of the most common misconceptions about Saudis is that they only eat with their bare hands. Noting that this is also practiced by other cultures, it\u2019s a wrong notion that every single Saudi individual doesn\u2019t need a utensil to eat on the table.<\/p>\n

In Saudi culture, it is mandatory to wash hands before and after meals. So unless you also practice the same hygienic routine, their hands may probably be cleaner than yours once they consume their food.<\/p>\n

Men have restricted time to enter shopping malls<\/h2>\n

Anticipating that boys will hit or eyeing on someone of the opposite sex at malls or similar public areas, they are only allowed to enter at specific times (usually after 7 pm). Should they wish to enter a mall, males need to be accompanied by their family members who watch over them in case they get into trouble.<\/p>\n

Some of them even have to bribe others to gain entry<\/a> on malls that normally don’t allow them in. Family members accompanying boys will also be on hand to resolve issues once a member of the religious police catches them attempting to engage with girls.<\/p>\n

Family members spend private time with friends in a Khaimah<\/h2>\n

Saudi people value the presence of a Khaimah, a tent that allows private gathering in someone\u2019s house. For example, when a woman invites her friends over, they stay at the tent as it\u2019s more private than the family\u2019s living room where the rest of the family members are staying.<\/p>\n

Everything is standstill during prayer time<\/h2>\n

Muslims pray five times during the day — dusk, noon, afternoon, sunset, and night — times vary daily and schedules are commonly found in newspapers.<\/p>\n

However, during a designated prayer time, which lasts about 30 minutes (noon prayers are longer), everything shuts down: restaurants, shopping malls, shops, and so on. This is because those manning these establishments also participate in the prayer. Activities resume only after this special time of prayer.<\/p>\n

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Photo by Haidan<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Saudi is a country of extreme weather conditions<\/h2>\n

It is well known that Saudi Arabia\u2019s summers are dry and extremely (and dangerously) hot. So don’t take chances; be generous when applying sunblock and always have water handy.<\/p>\n

During the winter season, the weather can also be pretty cold out there. In fact, there are places in Saudi Arabia that experience snowfalls. Therefore it is also necessary to prepare cold-weather clothing for winter.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

Saudi Arabia can easily be stereotyped based on what we hear in the news. But the reality is often experienced by visitors who come over. Soon as you are in the country, some of the typical perceptions may be inaccurate.<\/p>\n

What’s Next<\/h2>\n