what to pack!!

You can pack and wear anything. As long as it's covered with the black "abaya" cover. haha
But when you arrive at the airport make sure it's a long sleeve and pants. Unless you have the abaya already

....over to our feline friends on the forum

Shana

Welcome to the Forum and safe travels to KSA. 

Bring lots of comfortable clothing!  If you are working, as I suspect you will be, business casual or what ever the appropriate attire is for your work environment.  Just remember, here in KSA, you will be wearing an abaya over it (while out) unless you're working in the healthcare field. 

Stay in touch and let us know when you arrive.

Hi Shana,

I'll advise you on work apparel.

In the healthcare field, you will be supplied with an oversized 'labcoat' to wear regardless of your position lol  so don't worry about business 'suits.'

If you're a teacher (or other professional), long skirts (have to be between the lower shin and the ankle) and loose tops are good.  If you want to wear slacks, they  must be baggy (and I  warn you, your idea of baggy and their idea of baggy may differ considerably lol). So, loose slacks with oversized tops that cover the bum are also fine.

Bring shoes and sandals with you if you care at all about quality and/or comfort!!!!  I love Naturalizers but you won't find 'em here (although they do have Nine West).

Of course the good news is that you'll have a ticket home in six months and can bring back the things you wish you'd brought the first time   My first trip back I went home with empty suitcases and brought them back FULL!

Best of luck

Alliecat wrote:

Of course the good news is that you'll have a ticket home in six months and can bring back the things you wish you'd brought the first time   My first trip back I went home with empty suitcases and brought them back FULL!

Best of luck

Welcome to KSA Shana. Hope you have a great life here.

Females realy love shopping. Allie is on the hit list.

Anil

Females realy love shopping. Allie is on the hit list.

Nooooooooooooooooooo!!  I only love having what I need!

Hi All,

Just to thank you all for myour kind response and advise to my question. Got a reasonably good idea although still struggling to comprehend the whole situation in regard to the dress code.

Will be in touch as I will need you guys to advise me as I am going to be there long term, initially at least a year- teaching.

Thanks oce again.
Regards,
Shana

Hi ya,
my wife is in the same predicament!
we're arriving in december,
-some of the advice our recruitment agent has given her is to not worry about it too much, bring what you think is appropriate, and buy the rest once you arrive.
-you can always wear your abaya to cover up coz there's nothing worse than spending lots of money on clothes that you dont really like to much that you mightn't end up wearing because they aren't baggy enough!

Cheers

good advice, remember there's lots of good clothes shops here that the ladies enjoy a lot

my wife usually packs 20kg of shoes, just in case

About shopping here:

It can take hours/days and trips to many malls if you have something specific in mind.  For me, I don't consider that to be fun.  I consider that frustrating.  I don't consider shopping to be my life's work, for cryin' out loud!

Please read my post about professional dress because I know what I'm talking about--I'm a professional here and made the initial mistake of bringing business suits lol  Needless to say, I took them back home with me on my first return trip!

Now, with friends/at home, wear what you like.  But going out.. seriously.. you need to be careful wearing shorts because if you sit down publicly and your abaya parts and your leg should be exposed ... ... you will have scandalized the local populace!  I've heard of mutawa whipping women's legs when they thought their abayas were too short (but this could just be urban myth).

Oh, and be sure to bring plenty of underwear.  Here, all the salesclerks are men and the sizes aren't what you're used to.  You'll have some guy eyeing  you up and down and telling you what size to buy!

Also, you can't try anything on at the store so oftentimes you'll be making a trip back to return what you bought.

Anyway, maybe what I outlined sounds like fun to some people, so they'll be happy with the situation here.  For others of us, well, I have everything I need now after 3 trips home so I'm happy

Ive watched a Caucasian lads whose exposed legs were sprayed with paint by an enthusiastic M....

How long ago was that, mm?

MUSICMAN WROTE:  Ive watched a Caucasian lads whose exposed legs were sprayed with paint by an enthusiastic M...

I just cant imagine this happening now in 2010, but I guess anything is possible.

Alliecat wrote:

Oh, and be sure to bring plenty of underwear.  Here, all the salesclerks are men and the sizes aren't what you're used to.  You'll have some guy eyeing  you up and down and telling you what size to buy!

Also, you can't try anything on at the store so oftentimes you'll be making a trip back to return what you bought.

Whaaat?? I thought I was totally on board with what to bring clothswise, and that I could EASILY buy anything I wanted when I arrive.

How on earth I'm supposed to know if an item fits if I can't try them on? Easy if one has a proportionally perfect body that looks great in basically anything, but most of us don't...

And what's up with the mail clerk "eyeing you up and down"? I'm wearing an abaya, right? So guessing my cup size under that COULD be a challenge.

Besides, it makes me feel unconfortable already.

Preoria wrote:

[
And what's up with the mail clerk "eyeing you up and down"? I'm wearing an abaya, right? So guessing my cup size under that COULD be a challenge.

Besides, it makes me feel unconfortable already.

Here's the irony:  my friends tell me that these guys, sizing you up while wearing an abaya, are always right!  It irks the hell out of them lol  Me, I don't know--buy my undies on my trips home!

Bit of advice based on the missuses shopping experiences, she does prefer to shop back in the UK for clothes - New Look (also in Riyadh) and Primark are a couple of her faves. But, she quite likes how you can buy clothes here and take them home to try on, if they don't fit right then you have a week or two to return them and change for something else, you will find that the sales assistant will staple the receipt to the top of the bag when you pay so just remember to keep this if you need to take it back next week and check with him how long before returning. Riyadh seems to be a bit behind the UK fashionwise as she has seen clothes back home months before they hit the shelves here, but then the UK has always been ahead of other countries with music and fashion yea
If you happen to visit the Kingdom Tower shopping mall, the 1st floor is for ladies only with guards on the lifts to ensure this, I have never been myself obviously but I believe you don't have to wear an abaya up there, maybe one of the ladies on here can explain better...

Oh by the way, when does Eid end and shops return to normal opening hours here?

DesertDog wrote:

If you happen to visit the Kingdom Tower shopping mall, the 1st floor is for ladies only with guards on the lifts to ensure this, I have never been myself obviously but I believe you don't have to wear an abaya up there, maybe one of the ladies on here can explain better...

I've never shoppped there but friends have told me they buy the clothes on the ladies floor, try them on in the ladies room.. and then return immediately if they don't like the fit, etc.

Oh, that's different to try your purchases on in a ladies room of the mall! But hey, if that's the style and it works..

Without reading this forum I would have been asking for a fitting room and getting frustrated since I'm not being understood. Thanks guys/gals.

"..getting frustrated because I'm not being understood"

You wont get frustrated - we all speak english and then after a month we all speak english and arabic.

"..getting frustrated because I'm not being understood"

"You wont get frustrated - we all speak english and then after a month we all speak english and arabic."


Well sure, I just meant that since I had no idea they don't have fitting rooms I would have automatically expected that the listener just doesn't understand my nervous mumbling about fitting rooms. See I always blame myself first for any trouble that I'm in. But again, that's just my problem.

you can't have a low frustration level in Saudi .. just smile and roll with it

Thanks, Alliecat! I'll sure give it a shot!

welcome shana..hope youll enjoy riyadh!!

Preoria wrote:

Thanks, Alliecat! I'll sure give it a shot!

You'll be fine   Just consider it an adventure!

I just read your profile Shan...u wanted to Relocate in Belgium but destiny is getting u here

Allie i can not be more agree than this when it comes to underwearz precisely i told mom to get dozen for me when she came here.I buy it all the time and its always a wrong size and then i got no choice except dumping it I hate u China..u r everywhere and now u r confusing my brain for choosing the right size as well


Ohhh:offtopic: the topic aint my underwearz i guess   Come on yar pack your bags ang get yourself here...Have fun

Allie, it doesn't matter when it happened, the fact is it did and still can. Nothings impossible in sunny Saudi...

musicman wrote:

Allie, it doesn't matter when it happened, the fact is it did and still can. Nothings impossible in sunny Saudi...

Oh, I don't doubt that .. just curious

still struggling to comprehend the whole situation in regard to the dress code.

In public you will be dressed as Darth Vader, without the mask. (Luke, I am your mother...)

So, whatever you wear under that and in the privacy of your own home, is up to you.  Depending upon your housing arrangements, perhaps in your own compound, as well.

Work attire depends on where you work, which you still haven't told us, I don't think.  You must be covered from neck to below your knees...at all times.  Long sleeves are highly recommended.

Just remember this...you will be covered.  There's your dress code.