How to Prepare Yourself for Visiting Saudi Arabia.

The recent case of a woman who was raped by seven men has brought to light the harsh realities of Saudi laws and customs. If you are a western woman visiting Saudi Arabia, you must prepare yourself for a totally different culture.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Understand customs. The following items cannot be taken into Saudi Arabia: alcohol, pork products, pornography, drugs and guns. The immigration form you fill in on entry tells you in prominent, red letters: "WARNING DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKER." Videos and computer disks are liable to be held for 24 hours and checked for pornography. The delay can be a exacerbated if your final destination is not near the airport. Non-Islamic religious items, including Christmas trees and decorations, may be confiscated permanently. Interpretation of prohibited items can be surprisingly broad.

2. Note the prohibited materials. Magazines may be confiscated or have offending pages torn out and that includes magazines with photos of women with bare arms or legs. Even diet pills with banned ingredients have landed people in jail.

3. Prepare for searches. Baggage searches are usually thorough and not always orderly. Anyone with special equipment, books or presentation materials may need the help of their Saudi employer or sponsor to clear customs. If in doubt, check with your employer, sponsor or an expat familiar with the regulations.

4. Learn the rules regarding visas. Saudi Arabia does not normally issue individual tourist visas, although there are plans underway to gradually introduce organized tourism. Applications for business or visitors' visas are frequently turned down if everything is not in order. The entry visa allowing you to enter and live in Saudi Arabia, does not give you the right to leave. Exit and reentry visas or exit-only visas are required by residents who wish to leave the country. Obtaining these visas generally takes at least two days, although emergency visas can be obtained in a few hours. Try to make visa applications a week or two before your departure date. Allow even more time before the Eid holidays. Once a visa has been issued, it must be used or canceled before the expiration date, or there will be a fine of 1,000 riyals.

5. Carry your passport or "Igama." You need ID to even to buy a long-distance bus ticket. Long-term employed residents must carry an identity document called an Iqama. Dependents can either carry their passports or a properly stamped and authenticated copy of an employee's Iqama, listing family members.

6. Don't travel alone if you're a woman. Foreign women traveling on their own are regarded with suspicion, particularly if they are not married. Saudi women do not travel long distances without a male family member, either their husband or a very close relative. Remember that Saudi women are not allowed to drive. Although smoking is common, it is not acceptable for women to smoke in public.

7. Observe prayer time. Shops, offices and other businesses, including restaurants, must close during prayer times, which vary and are published daily in the newspapers. There are prayers five times a day, and all but the early morning prayers fall within shopping hours. When prayers are announced you must leave the shop for about twenty minutes. In some parts of the country, restaurant patrons are allowed remain inside, but no more food or drinks are served.

8. Watch for the religious police. The Mutawwa, or "religious police," are accompanied by uniformed police and their function is to monitor public behavior and ensure that the Islamic code is obeyed. Things which might attract their attention would be inappropriate dress, physical contact between the sexes in public or eating in public during Ramadan. Never argue with the Mutawwa. Find out what you have done wrong, apologize and correct the error.

9. Practice restraint with your cameras. Many Muslims are totally opposed to photography, except for essential items such as passports. Never photograph people, particularly women, without first asking permission. Do not expect automatic consent. Military installations, airports, government buildings palaces should never be photographed without prior approval. Photographers who ignore these conventions risk confiscation of their film and possibly their camera. Professional photographers should obtain an official permit from the local government offices, although the envelope containing the permit is seldom opened, as the stamp on the envelope is usually considered proof of permission. Once permission has been given, photographers will find that some Saudis are enthusiastic subjects, especially children. A Polaroid camera can be useful to provide extra, instant photos as gifts.

[ashleybc]

on 8/1/2009 I can't find any "do not travel to" list on the US Embassy's site. Americans traveling to any other country need to show respect for that country's customs, and in this case, religion. Wearing a veil is not a big deal. In fact, most if not every woman you meet in Saudi Arabia will be wearing burqa'a in public, so you'll probably be more comfortable dressing like them, anyway.

[CrystalZoom]

on 3/14/2009 Yes, I've just been reading about it on the US Embassy site it's on the do not travel to list. I also saw about women in the service being forced to wear the veils and I've been trying to read up on it. It's terrible.