Red Sea Mall and women in Saudi
Byatangajwe: 08.10.2016
Iyandikishe mu kinyamakuru
Huge and quite western. Besides some clothes, we mainly bought groceries (even though everything is available in the two supermarkets on the KAUST campus, some things were cheaper in the mall).
Before we left, we were a bit excited - how will it be? Will we stand out? Do we have to behave differently than at home? Will people ask if we are married or not - and if so, what will happen then?
BUT - behold: at least this very western mall proves once again that there is a big difference between what you hear in the media and what is actually lived.
Sure, this may only be true for the coastal region around Jeddah (in Riat or southern areas, they are certainly much more conservative). But what I saw yesterday was not the Saudi Arabia that is portrayed on television.
No, not all women here wear a niqab, many just wear a hijab or, like foreign women like me, no headscarf at all.
For the women without a headscarf, it can be assumed that they are not Saudi women (there are also incredibly many Filipinas, Malaysians, etc. living here).
However, I saw many women, including those wearing niqabs, walking hand in hand with their husbands. No walking 5 meters behind or anything like that.
One strange thing was: In some blogs or reports that I read before leaving Germany, Western women often reported feeling gawked at by men (usually the guest workers here).
I haven't experienced such a moment a single time yet!
Instead, yesterday I felt a bit like I was in school at 14. There were several small groups of young women wearing niqabs who made me feel scrutinized and were whispering and definitely talking about me when I passed by them.
I don't know if they found me (especially since I stand out with my short hair) strange or 'exotic.
But girls - imagine what it's like when YOU are the one who stands out because you DON'T wear a headscarf :-)
In contrast to the scrutinizing and whispering, here, both on campus, but also yesterday in the mall, I have been approached several times by young women who really like my hair.
By the way, my new third roommate is also Saudi - 30, divorced, with a child and a completed degree in microbiology in the USA. So, exactly the type of rebellious and aspiring young woman from Saudi Arabia that we have been hearing about more and more lately.
The impression I have so far is certainly limited, but it confirms the theory that this country is undergoing a strong transformation. And above all, that not everything is as black and white as one is sometimes led to believe.
That's all for today, see you soon!
Best regards!
Iyandikishe mu kinyamakuru
Igisubizo