 A young Saudi woman peeks out from behind the hijab |
A fervently religious country, Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of the prophet Mohammed and of the religion he founded, Islam .
In fact, every year, thousands of religious pilgrims visit Mecca, pouring in from Muslim countries around the world to attend the Haj during the religious month of Ramadan. During this time, Muslims do not eat or drink from dawn till dusk and it is forbidden even for non-Muslim foreigners to eat or drink in public.
Foreigners are required to exercise discretion in dress while in Saudi, never more so than during this time. Women and girls over 10 must wear completely body covering clothing so as not to reveal any skin. Many resident foreigners even adopt the local black abbaya rather than suffer the penetrating glares of Saudi men and, if venturing out of the main cities, a head covering as well. Saudi women dress from top to toe in black. Apart from the abbaya, they also wear a full head veil with only their eyes showing through narrow slits.
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