Dress Codes for Women in the Middle East
You can’t have avoided the stories that periodically come from the Middle East where an unwary foreign visitor finds themselves on the wrong end of local laws and customs. Most famously, a British couple found themselves facing jail for what they viewed as a ‘quick peck’ in public but that people in a Dubai restaurant considered to be an outrageous exhibition of morality.
The two cultures of East and West clash quite severely in many ways. A comprehensive overview of the many regional differences would be the subject of a life’s work – far more than a mere blog post could ever hope to encompass. However, we can take a brief look at one of the simpler areas where people fall foul of different cultural standards quite often.
In the West, we are accustomed to women exposing their flesh to a degree that would (and does) horrify many people in the Middle East. Our dresses are variously frilly, strappy, short, sleeveless and thigh-revealing in a way that is considered beyond vulgar in much of the Gulf region.
Partly this is because of certain interpretations of Islam, but in many parts of the region it is possible to openly wear more Western styles of clothing than ever before. However standards do vary. In Dubai, women can be seen in sleeveless shirts and shorts. Take a trip across to Abu Dhabi and the picture is very different – women would be well advised to wear long skirts and to cover their upper arms at the very least.
Away from the big cities with their Western influences, society can be a lot more conservative and if you’re thinking of taking a jaunt around the markets and souks away from the urban centres then definitely take something very demure to avoid awkward confrontations with local people.
If you’re thinking of going further than mere tourism and taking one of the many jobs in the middle east that have been created by the region’s successful exploitation of its oil reserves in recent years then the typical dress code for office work is more restrictive than you would expect at home.
Sleeves must be long enough to cover the upper arm, and dresses and skirts should be no higher than the knee so as to not cause any unwanted distractions among the men who share your work space.
So before you take a trip, take the time to look for regional customs in general and then in the specific countries or places you are planning to visit. The people of the Middle East have a long and honourable tradition of hospitality to visitors and it merely politeness to compromise a little with your dress to make allowances for their culture.