What is national dress of Saudi Arabia?

Answer 1

The traditional dress for Saudi men is the Thobe, a loose, long-sleeved white cotton garment with a tailored collar and sleeves, much like a shirt in style and which reaches to the ankles. This is accompanied by a white knitted skull cap, the Tagiyah, over which is worn the Ghutra. This is the long flowing scarf in a red and white chequered pattern or plain white. Its origins are routed in the desert when the scarf could be used to cover the face as protection against sandstorms. On top of the Ghutra is a thick double black cord which holds it in place, and which is known as the Agal.

In the short winter months, a Thobe may be worn of thicker, darker material, including grey, black and brown.

Females from the age of puberty wear a shapeless, unadorned, long black robe that reaches to the ground, and is known as the Abaya. In Saudi Arabia it is pretty much mandatory to cover the head, and whilst expatriates including Arabs from other countries may leave the face uncovered, most Saudi woman wear a veil that covers either the entire face or leaves just the eyes revealed. Many women interpret modesty so strictly that they wear black gloves and stockings so as not to reveal any part of the body.

It is mandatory for Western women in Saudi Arabia to wear the Abaya when appearing in public.

Answer 2

Regarding the clothes that Muslims must wear, there is a general consensus that they must be modest, clean and they must cover the body (in different proportions for men and women).

Regarding the clothes of the women, there are different views held by the scholars. There are scholars that say that a Muslim woman must cover herself, except for the face and the hands. (She is not obligated to cover in front of her husband, brothers, father, son, uncle). There are other scholars that state that the Muslim woman must cover herself completely.

In Saudi Arabia women are usually covered completely and the tradition has imposed the black outfit. However, this obligation regards Muslim women. In the capital Riadh and other cities, there are Christian or Jew women that are not forced to dress like this, but still cover most of their body. This regulation about the women of other religions is found in just a few countries and it is imposed by the government, not the Islamic Law - Shariah. But there are also Muslim countries that prohibit using Muslim clothes in institutions

Answer 3

The culture of Saudi Arabia requires conservative dress from both genders. Part of the national dress of the country is known as the gutra.