Fitting Room Mystery Solved

After an extended holiday in Athens, I have traded in my winter coat for an abaya once again, and returned to the Kingdom, ready to get back to blogging. The first post of the new year, brings what may be the explanation to one of the first things that struck me as incredibly odd in Saudi Arabia.

A few posts back I mentioned that most stores in malls don't have fitting rooms. Instead, the clothes must be bought, taken to the bathroom and tried on there. This is an arrangement I have not encountered anywhere else in the world, so I assumed it is the product of some Saudi belief. Saudis are very preoccupied with concepts like modesty, decency, etc, something very understandable, since they strive to live in accordance with Islamic law (Sharia). I was recently told by several people that there is a very concrete reason for the absence of changing rooms.
Apparently, a number of years ago, it was something of a trend for young (unwed) couples to meet up secretly in malls, the man concealing his identity under an abaya and a veil, so it would seem they were just two girls out shopping. These couples would often proceed to the then existing fitting rooms, where they would engage in acts of sexual nature. It seems that this scandalous, and indeed, very haraam* behaviour, became a frequent phenomenon. After a few of these incidents, it was decided that the root of this evil were the changing rooms, as they provided a space with enough privacy for the sinful act of premarital lovemaking. Lo and behold, they were removed from practically every clothing store.
I must stress the fact that this is just something I heard, so I can't be sure that it's the actual truth. It seems bizarre, but very plausible at the same time. After all, anything is possible in a place where sex is considered an extremely taboo subject and sexuality is, consequently, widely oppressed.

That's all for now, just a little fun fact until I can readjust to life in Saudi and start posting regularly. Also, I just added a subscribe field, so if you'd like to follow Hellenic Hijab, all you have to do is submit your e-mail address in the space provided on the top of the sidebar, and you will receive a notification every time a new post is published :)



*Haraam - sinful, a term used to refer to anything that displeases God (Allah) .

Shopping Malls in Saudi

Saudi Arabia's religious leaders consider music a sin, there is a 3 decade ban on cinemas, also initiated by the powerful religious police, plus, alcoholic drinks are banned in Islam, Saudi being the only Muslim country where drinking results in a public lashing. Don't  forget to take into account that gender-mixing in public is a big no-no, as it can lead to arrest, and you'll realize why the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is hardly the Kindom of Fun & Games. So, because of this situation, entertainment here mainly takes the form of (over)consumption. During weekends (weekends being Thursday and Friday), hordes of people, families, single men and groups of women, locals and expats, flood the malls and shop till they drop. Saudi Arabia is renowned for its massive shopping malls. Enormous and modern, with their designer stores and food courts including all the usual fast food joints, you could almost mistake them for malls anywhere in the world. Almost, because, after all, this is Saudi Arabia, where unique rules and customs apply. These are important things to watch out for while shopping in Saudi malls:

1) Singles' and Families' Sections / Shops

To avoid men fraternizing with women, all restaurants, coffee shops, etc, are separated into a singles' section and a families' section. All women who are unaccompanied by a male relative must be seated in the families' section. Vice versa, men who are not accompanied by a female relative, must sit in the singles' section. This division, although strict, is not always apparent. Some places have screens or walls, but others have only signs stating which side is which. It is prudent to look out for them, unless you want to find yourself in the awkward position I found myself in today, when I entered Starbucks through the singles' section and got plenty of stares for my trouble. Of course, I was also targeted, because, as a non-Muslim, I usually don't cover my hair. It was almost as embarrassing as walking into a men's room back home ( if I made that mistake here I'd probably be lynched or something). 

There is also a number of stores which don't allow entry to single men. These are usually womens' clothing or lingerie stores, and carry signs at the entrance: "FAMILIES ONLY" or "LADIES ONLY".

2) Beat Prayer Time

One of the 5 pillars of Islam is "Salat", the obligatory prayers which are performed 5 times a day: dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall, lasting a half-hour each time. These prayers pretty much determine the rythm of the entire day. When it's time to pray, customers evacuate shops so they can lock up. All restaurants and coffee shops stop serving anything and the mullah's voice reverberates throughout the mall via speakers. However, if you have already been served before prayer time, you can continue sitting in the restaurant and finish your meal, no problem. The thing is, after the noon prayer, which usually starts around 12.00, most stores don't open again until 17.30. So between 10.00 when the mall opens for business and prayer time, you only get a couple of hours to squeeze in your shopping.  Shopping in the evening is a bit better, as long as you make sure to avoid the two prayers, which start around 17.45 and 19.15 each. Malls close at 23.00.

3) Fitting Rooms

There are none. Well, maybe not none, but most clothing stores don't have them. I assume it has something to do with obliterating the chances of a man getting an accidental view of female flesh. It's obviously very impractical, since to try on an article of clothing you must buy it, go to the mall's bathroom and put it on there. Changing clothes is a bit of a hassle on its own, considering you're wearing an abaya and regular clothes underneath. The good thing is that, upon returning something that didn't fit or you didn't like, you get your money back and don't have to search for something else to swap it for.

4) Toilet Paper

Same thing that applies to fitting rooms. Except here, I actually mean that there is literally none. Honestly, this might be the biggest culture shock I've had yet, because, although I had a general idea what to expect from Saudi Arabia, nobody thought to mention this particular, very important, er...custom. Apparently, the Saudi way is to use a shower nozzle attached to the wall, which shoots out a jet of water with surprising force. For the life of me, I cannot figure out how they do it without messing up their clothes. I assume this is what the locals do at home as well, and there is a very good chance that this way is more hygienic than using paper, but I don't think I'll be able to adopt this...technique.

So yeah, shopping in a Saudi mall can be the same as shopping in any other mall in the world. As long as you remember where to sit, plan your shopping around prayer times, know your sizes as best as possible to avoid unecessary trips to the bathroom and carry plenty of tissues when it's time to actually go!

Red Sea Mall, one of Jeddah's most popular malls.
*I do not own this photo*

Souk Shopping

I finally ventured out of the compound to one of the places I was most eager to visit, Jeddah's Souk (open-air market). Every Tuesday and Thursday at 9.00 a bus departs from the compound, taking residents to the marketplace. It's the easiest way to get there if you don't have a car at your disposal, as there is no such thing as public transportation in Jeddah, except for taxi or limo service.

The souk was as traditional as I had hoped, with almost nothing to remind you of the Western world. It is actually said to be the last truly authentic souk in the Arab world. The setting, the people, the smells, everything made me feel as if I were right in the middle of the Middle East! The souk consists of several wide streets and more narrow alleyways. Its architecture is unique, as all buildings, ranging from crumbling to well preserved, retain their original Arabic style. Shopfronts open out onto the street, products on display, and salesmen praise their merchandise in loud, singsong voices, or call out "Hello!Welcome!", once they realize you are a foreigner. Literally anything can be purchased at the souk. Most popular merchandise are abayas (the traditional black garment women wear), spices, jewlery, prayer rugs, leather sandals, dates and colourful pashminas, but you could just as easily find electronics, beauty products (henna body paint seems to be very popular), even winter coats. The quality of most things is probably mediocre, but prices are more than reasonable, and by haggling you can usually get the shopkeeper to lower the price 5-10 SRs (Saudi Riyals).

Strolling through the souk, there was plenty of opportunity for people-watching. It was quite crowded, due to the presence of the remaining Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) pilgrims. Some men in traditional, mostly white, thobes walked down the street hand in hand, as a mark of respect to each other. Others sat in the streets smoking cigarettes, talking, and picking at their toes. It seems Saudi men have some sort of fixation with their feet. I noticed many of them rubbing their soles and between their toes, digging under their toenails and, twice, I even saw men clip their toenails on the sidewalk. It's every bit as appealing as it sounds...

Women are more discreet. They move in groups, chatting and shopping. Clad in black from head to foot, hijabs (black headscarves) and veils concealing their features, only their eyes give some clue as to their identity. I didn't see any women simply sitting around. Women who walk alone are usually beggars.

You will certainly see paupers at the souk. Elderly men, women of all ages and dusty children sidle up to you, palms outstretched for a few riyals. Show any sign of charity, smile even, and you will most likely be followed for a while. These beggars are virtually harmless though. Some men who are not exactly beggars, but certainly seem very poor, wheel cardboard boxes in steel trolleys, offering to carry your shopping bags for you, in exchange for a small amount of money.

All in all, I enjoyed the souk very much and look forward to going back again. If you ever find yourself in Jeddah make sure to check it out, it's definitely a unique and very authentic Middle Eastern experience!