Saudi Roads not Safe for Women?
I started thinking about this issue after I witnessed an old man arguing with a young woman about driving her car to the grocery store in the compound … The man, who obviously came from outside, seem to be making a big issue out of it, he followed her from her car and into the store where some young shabab came to her ‘rescue’. The one-sided argument was mostly in Arabic, but later what friends told me was that he was saying that it is not a safe road environment for “fragile flowers like girls” to be driving. That is not true since in the Subcontinent the situation is much worse and women are driving with men, as is the world over!. And he may also not know tht Saudi women are piloting planes too, a much more dangerous job!. These kinda men are the reason why a lot of women cant get behind the wheel
Women should be allowed to drive at least to the store for the housework, they can give their husbands/ fathers, who when come home after a full day at work, some time to rest instead of giving them a shopping list? Wouldn’t it increase their productivity? and make the roads a little safer with the tired people outta the way?
With respect to the safety issue, Is this ‘skating’ on the highway safe even for the MEN who drive?? Hm….
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJupNDIKkEk[/youtube]
Join the Conversation
as a big fan of driving and racing in all weather and traffic condition, and as a resident of a country where women are free to drive i must remind you of the wisdom “women drivers, no survivors”.
it will be dangerous for men not women if women are allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia.
but still, i have a special place in my heart for any female in the world who has the courage to drive really fast and compete with men in street racings (like this BMW blond chick who almost made me bite the dust in a street race a year ago) …..this type of women i can’t resist
Muneeb, women will drive in SA, sooner or later. Thousands of years ego when we all did not have cars we rode on horseback and on camels, they had four legs instead of four wheels, and that worked. I guess it will work with a fueled engine as well.
As a Saudi myself, I understand that this fear and unreasonable urge in the men of Saudi to not allow women to drive is stemming from an idiotic cultigious perspective..
(Cultigious is culture mixing badly with faulty understandings of religion, yes it’s my own terminology
)
And i won’t say tribal prejudce, being that it’s funny how Bedwins, who are mocked by most Saudis, allow their wives to drive in the desert, while the modernized Saudi would prefer their wives and daughters to have forbidden Khilwat with a driver who might be illegal to being with..
But as Elinor said, and as i mentioned in my previous blog about this, this issue will fall down and crumble.. Either leaving us with no cars, or to finally submit to this Important aspect of modern life and understand that THAT’S how the cookie should’ve crumbled since day one.. And believe me, Muneeb, when it’s finally done and my sister and your sister are allowed to drive, the rest of the community would realize how idiotic they were when they stood against it..
Oh, and incase any typical Saudi wants to say this is Haram in Religion, then let them go read religion well.. What the prophet’s wives did when they rode camels, and the princesses of Andalusia with their arabian horses is no different than a Ford or a Toyota.. Maybe safer, but you get my drift
..
Yours,
Lou..
Women don’t get into many driving accidents, but they cause men to crash as they speed and dodge around them.
Brian!
Keep your car chained!
As I mentioned before in a previous blog it’s mainly about two things:
1. Men need to control women in this country to feel superior somehow..
2. Men have no self control around women in this country.. So it is easier to keep women hidden.. and locked up..
Rasha,
Not a good idea ? 
Women can drive for them, they can lean back in the back seat and check their emails, while women drive them safely to their desired destination
@”Spanky” and Brian H:
Women value life more then men do and they do drive safe, not going at 180kmph on the shoulder of the truck lane
Well Since I am also a racers let me tell u tht anyone can make u bite the dust.. all one needs is a death wish. I have done enuf stunts with my [and many other rides] tht there is a “its Muneeb driving” label on me… do alot of things sane ppl dont try…
@ Lou: LOL, women have been gaining rights S..L..O..W..L..Y all over the world
they would eventually be equal to men… maybe not in my lifetime..
Oh they are just ganna say tht we are sooo sorry, we should’ve realized this a LONG time ago n blah blah blah :@ [chk last line 2]
[ add 'Cultigious' on Wiki n take credit
]
@Elinor I sure hope that women are allowed to drive.. like I always say: they should come n ‘study’ the women driving in Saudi, [allowed in most compounds]
Rasha, wht I dont get is even with no permission to drive, they are still going out.. with more hassles only.. so why dont they just allow n save a bunch of time, effort n energy?
and personally, I gladly sit aside to let mom\sibs drive if I am going with in the campus! and dont feel “un-superior”
Muneeb,
Are you living in Saudi Arabia ?
In that case, suppose you go to some where out in the country side, in far off roads where not many cars pass, is there alright if you teach your sister ( supposedly) to drive and let her drive a bit ( hidingly) and as a car approaches you jump back to the driver’s seat and she to the passenger seat ?
Do people do that?
People in our country do some other stuff hidingoly, suppose we take off our scarf in the roads no one objects or we dance in the country side to the laos music of our cars.
At least in Saudi your women don’t have to wear the scarf all the time every where, but here a christian woman has to wear a scarf, a woman muslim who is secular as well and the poor tourists who come to cross the country.
Once I was by the Iranian embassy in one of these countries around and I saw a bunch of women dressed weirdly , suppose a tall woman with blue eyes wearing a scarf in a way only one large big eye would show, another one wearing a louse top and a belly botton ring and covering her hair in a way half her face was covered. I understood they were tourists who wanted a visa just to pass iran to go to Pakistan or Azerbaeejan or so, and they had to wear the scarf and cover their hair to get the visa, they do not do that to tourists seeking visa in Saudi Arabia Muneeb.
Yeah Elinor I am living in Saudi but I consider myself lucky to b living in a campus where WOMEN are ACTUALLY ALLOWED TO DRIVE!
The women have to wear the WHOLE abaya at all times in the open, only scarf would sound better [NO forcing here]… even implemented on the rare tourists,
well when in Rome do as roman’s do eh?
Tourists in Saudi Arabia.. hmmmmm interesting
Muneeb,
\
I didn’t know about this, well this Abaya you are talking about is compulsary just to wear it over the shoulders right? but scarf is not compulsary. Thank you for the information
That is right about Rome but countries gradually change their methods, Perhaps some years back there aasn’t this campus where women culd drive there
When I come to Saudi Arabia i would like one of those veils that covvers the face but the two eyes, that looks cute, at least for a while
Elinor, it is over the shoulder’s n technically it shud cover the whole person, other wise with the abaya ‘hangin’ there.. well : it looks slutty [personal opinion]
The head covering is a personal choice.. I have seen western without any, n women wearing hijab-scarf or niqab…
the one which you are talking about, which cover’s the full face is called Niqab. Just dont try it at 1200 in the middle of Summer
Oh I believe the Campus [and many other's like it] have been here for YEARS
Glad to help clear the image of Saudi Arabia in a good way
Well, i’d like to add something.. In whatever manner you decide to wear your hijab, it’s completely connected to which part of Saudi Arabia you’re in, because you’ll be treated for how much you are acting like you’re from the region Sadly (shallow).. Here’s a brief summary:
- If you’re in the western province (i.e. Jeddah, Makkah, Madina): It’s varying between moderate to liberal.. You’d find the average girl in Jeddah wearing her open black coat, showing her sense of fashion beneath, and the scarf is either hanging loosely on her head or shoulders, or not even wearing it..
- If you’re in the central province (i.e. Riyadh): it’s more strict and the issue of Hijab is pressured by the religious police (who forma very controlling influence over that part of saudi more than the east and west), and there you’d find two type of women.. Conservatives, and neo-conservatives.. Conservatives, who are people that fit the profile known internationally; a woman with a black bag covering her whole body, with tiny teensy weensy peep wholes for her eyes, wearing black gloves and black shoes.. The neo-conservatives, who are mostly their daughters, will be covering their whole body but with two pieces of clothing, a tightly closed coat that is most of the time shaping the body, and a head piece with a wider peep whole.. Of course, they tend to be more sexy and attract unwanted attention more due to this “tight” solution they came with..
- If you’re in the east, you have the option to be moderate, liberal, conservative, neo-conservative..
Adding on what Muneeb said, your approach to the Hijab and Abaya can differ from one part of Saudi to another.. Like for example:
- The Western Province: Women are generally liberal in their choices of their garments.. Either a normal buttoned coat with a scarf, or an open coat that shows their choice of clothing beneath, and a scarf that is either hanging on their heads or their shoulders, or none in some cases..
- The Central Province: Abaya’s are more strict, due to the powerful influence of the religious police in these parts more than any part in the kingdom.. Women tend to be conservative, wearing the black abaya that covers you in one piece from head to toe, and you got your neo-conservatives, who wear the abaya from head to two, but in two pieces.. A head piece that has a peep hole for the eyes “nikab” and another piece “tightly” covering your body.. But they don’t show what they’re wearing in general cases..
- The Eastern Province, is more of both since it’s the west and the center combined with the people of the east.. You’d see every type of hijab, and the foreigners who tend not to wear any kind of hijab what so ever..
The funny thing is that each region has a different understanding of the Hijab and Scarf.. Some take it as a must, and some take it as a personal choice (but mostly criticized by the general public sadly)..
Muneeb, Lou,
It is so wonderful to know about the traditions and how people dress up in saudi Arabia. One thing I like about it is that if some one likes to be more liberal, at least relatively could more to the regions or areas where laws are not very srict, if that happened in Iran people would be pleased, the religious and the secular likewise.
I think my server glitched, because i know that i typed my reply, but when i saw nothing on screen, i typed again.. Sorry in advance everybody..
Be sure to eat before you leave the house: I remember seeing a youtube video of a veiled woman trying to eat what looked like spaghetti at an outdoor restaurant…
Mytwocents !
I will pull it up when I want to eat to check on jewlery or fabrics.
You know what I like about Saudi Arabia ? See there men and women both cover up from head to toe. You can’t say its only women, you see all their government , even the king, so women cannot say they are discriminated, men by tradition cover up, I wish in iran that could happen, that men would cover up as much so women wouldn’t feel all the laws are right after them alone
I’m curious, if you don’t mind. Do veiled women wear eye makeup?
Why Not? like when going to parties or functions they are all set up inside with abaya covering everything..
once they reach the women only area they take abaya + veil off…
That is true mostly because of the ancient tradtions. They wear a full covering bcuz of the sand and all the small particles tht are kept outside by these smooth, long wear
Now tht are really rare
YAAAAAAAAAY No wonder I see all types
Muneeb, I’m confused by that. The purpose of makeup is to enhance physical appearance and make a woman more attractive, right? Yet the purpose of being fully covered — including the veil — is to hide physical appearance and prevent attraction, isn’t it?
I would think that a woman in abaya and veil with eye makeup sends the message, “I don’t want you to see me. I don’t want you to be attracted to me. But, wow! Don’t I have pretty eyes?”
LOL
well it depends alot on intentions of the woman and how the woman wants to be seen. Some wear perfume n walk in a style tht needs no explaining
Some wear simple hijab but tht makes them look gr8 w/out any makeup
but in Saudi Arabia every1 has to wear the body-covering abaya.. [the head cover has options]
so the abaya factor sorta cancel’s out.. it’s on the woman personally, how she wants to b seen..
n not to forget the natural attraction b/w gender
Muneeb, do the Abayas vary in color or they should be black ? I mean the one that covers the body?
I have seen only black in the 18 years here.. some are with embroidery n designs..
hey paints a pretty close picture of the event..
+its better then the drafts you wrote
While we dont agree on everything in your post, I do tend to get a refreshing view every time I read one of your posts.
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