Can foreign women drive in Saudi Arabia?
Hey, it’s me again. When I last was there about 5 years ago, women were still not allowed to drive, unless it was an emergency. However, you would occasionally see a bedouin woman driving in the desert interior. They were like the Gypsies of the desert, nomads traveling around from place to place. They seemed not to adhere to the strict rules as stringently. Also, foreigners were not REQUIRED to wear the traditional garb, but it was usually necessary to prevent harassment from the mutawah (religious police) to at least wear loose fitting clothing that covered your arms and legs. I also got even LESS harrassment in some places if I at least covered my hair. Saudi men don’t get to see a woman’s hair everyday, so just walking around with it unbound and uncovered was usually more than they could prevent themselves from staring at.
