In a lot of Arabic countries, particularly in the Gulf, the men wear white robes and red-and-white keffiyehs around their heads (like these guys). Would it be offensive or odd for white tourists to wear the same thing, or would that be welcomed as making an effort to respect the culture? I guess it may be different for different countries; I’m mainly thinking of Gulf states like Saudi Arabia and some of the more conservatives Emirates in the UAE, but responses about any Arabic country would be welcome.
When I was in the Navy and my ship pulled into the UAE, the liberty policy prohibited any US military personnel from wearing those. Apparently, it was a sensitive issue.
I’d be interested in finding out the answer to this myself- I think Keffiyehs are really nifty and if I ever visit the Middle East I’d definitely want to wear one, but I wouldn’t want to offend the locals in the process.
I was in Saudi in 1994 and bought those items, but never wore them. I wanted them for souvenirs. I just had the feeling that it would not be appreciated. So I’m also interested in the answer.
Where’s Paul in Saudi ?
I have read online tour guides which advise against dressing as the locals, saying that it will be interpreted as mockery. I think this is also mentioned in the Lonely Planet guide to Saudi Arabia, but unfortunately I can’t check as my copy is on the other side of the planet at the moment…
I’m currently in the UAE and I’ve never seen a white dude dress like a local. It’s probably similar to a non Scotsman wearing a kilt. Folks might wear the right clothes, but it’s often painfully obvious that most have no clue how to wear them.
I don’t know, but I do know it would be hard to do correctly. A great deal can be assumed about a person by his Keffiyeh. The prints, materials, and especially the fringe hold all kinds of symbolism and information about home origin and sometimes clan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keffiyeh
It’s like wearing a kilt in the plaid of someone else’s family, or a British Regimental or School tie. You may just like the pattern and wish to fit in, but others would think you were posing as an actual member.
ETA: Ninja’d by Tapioca.
A truly terrible fate 
Interesting analogy. So, as long as you did your homework, it might be OK?
Col. T.E. Lawrence (Of Arabia) wore Native Dress a lot, but he was generally regarded as “A Bit Odd”, even by British standards of the time…
Paul is on vacation in Maryland.
I have never ever seen a prohibition on wearing Saudi national dress by non-Saudis, and I have seen long lists of “do not do” things. On the other hand I have only seen one person do it.
Yousef bin Yousef, a lovely chain-smoking Englishman with white hair, white beard and a white robe and ghutrah. Looked like an Arabian Santa Claus. He was Muslim, fluent in Arabic (and Hebrew) and totally went native in Saudi. He had no problems at all. But then again he is a bit of a special case.
I have never worn the thing, and I get the vibes that it would not be a wise thing to do.
You see that is the problem with the Arab world, most of the rules are not formal or written down. You are expected to behave ‘normally’ and protesting there is no rule against something is not really a defense.
Does that help?
[quote=“TruCelt, post:7, topic:508733”]
I don’t know, but I do know it would be hard to do correctly. A great deal can be assumed about a person by his Keffiyeh. The prints, materials, and especially the fringe hold all kinds of symbolism and information about home origin and sometimes clan. QUOTE]
True. That’s how Rachel Ray got busted as being a terrorist sympathizer.
I know. Just joking. It seemed like the thread was just begging for an RR comment.
I’ll leave now.
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My company uses a web-site globesmart to help us out with topics around international customs, it’s junk! As is most information you find on the net. When in doubt ask; who you ask is they key. After temps in the hundreds I asked the same question to my contacts because me in dress pants and a long sleeve shirt wasn’t working. I had the benefit of my contact living in Canada for some four years then coming back to Saudi Arabia. A Keffiyeh and Thobe is equal to a western business suit. Color, style, pattern material have no status meaning. Now that doesn’t mean you can’t buy designer label (LV) but that only means you have more money, just like when anyone buys (LV) any place in the world.
Think of the Keffiyeh as a baseball hat. Some people wear it high, low, super low, and backwards; whats your style? Same with the Keffiyeh. My grandfather complains if mine is ever backwards, I’m sure the same holds true in the Middle East. My client recommended the Thobe and not the Keffiyeh, never the keffiyeh alone. Remember this whole thing serves a purpose as well…keeping you COOL and the sun off your head. When you can’t wear shorts this is the next best thing, tee shirt and underwear underneath is the best when its 130d.
On my last day I traveled to a mall and had a Thobe made for myself and purchased two Keffiyehs. The store owner asked if these were souviners. One was for my daughter and the rest was for my upcoming trip to Qatar. His eyes lit up! “You will wear this?!” “Fantastic!” When I was being measured another man walked in and started mumbling to the owner, I have a very limited vocabulary but he was smack talking about the american businessman/ tourist. The shope owner explain why I was getting it and the same reaction of excitment. “You are welcome back to Saudi Arabia any time my friend!”.
It’s all about asking first!
No, I am in Dammam, Maryland in July.
Just exactly what he said. I have seen only one Westerner do it, and he was a jerk living out some Lawrance of Arabia sexual scenario.
How did I just quote myself?
Will the real Paul in Qatar please stand up?
And yeah, I think I somehow missed the fact that the poster formerly known as Paul in Saudi is now you.
FWIW, in west Africa it’s not uncommon for non-Muslim male westerners to wear full Islamic dress, sometimes including a keffiyeh-like scarf that some local Muslims would affect as a fashion accessory. This would lead to appreciation and perhaps some good natured ribbing about your upcoming conversion to Islam.
I’d get poked fun of, however, for wearing a hijab-style headscarf- which is actually a pretty practical garment in hot climates and is great for when you’d like a bit of privacy. Eventually people got used to it and grew to appreciate it- I know it had a positive effect on my reputation- but I certainly got lots of amused catcalls of “Ehhhh Hadja!”
I often wear a keffiyeh in the Gulf, Yemen, Jordan, Sudan etc, but not with a agal (the black rope loop).
In the Gulf I don’t wear a thobe, but have in Syria and Sudan. I am a white guy, but am Muslim and speak a bit of Arabic. My friends call me (my first name) of Arabia.
There’s no one good answer, then? Paul’s, psychonaut’s, and **Igetaround’s **answers are highly contradictory.
Is there a lot of variability depending on what part of Saudi Arabia you find yourself in? Maybe super-strict near Mecca & Riyadh, but looser elsewhere?
Or, more likely, differences in comfort level.
Some ex-pats/travelers take the attitude of “I’m going to do my darnedest to make sure I don’t do anything offensive to anyone, even the most conservative grandmother.” Others take the attitude of “Screw it, I’m here spending my money. They do what they want and I do what I want.” Most are somewhere in between, striking a balance between their individuality and the cultural norms they are living in.
Simply asking people cannot be relied on, since individuals have different ideas of what’s appropriate and often people will be reluctant to tell a visitor that they have committed a faux pas.
Not necessarily; I think they’re all saying that you’d probably look like an eccentric. How other people react to your eccentricity would vary.
I am from a Scottish family that wears kilts sometimes and I have never objected to non-Scotsmen wearing them, as long as they aren’t worn in a patently incorrect or mocking way (pleats in the back, please!). In any event, the “clan” tartan patterns are mostly (not completely, but mostly) a Victorian invention and in the old days, you probably just wore whatever pattern you liked or that the local weaver made. Certainly, Victorian culture greatly expanded the number of family tartan patterns and made it much more formal than it was before the Highland Dress Act that proscribed general kilt wearing as subversive.
I don’t think anyone in my family would think it was inappropriate for non-Scotsmen to wear the kilt either, as long as it was worn properly and non-mockingly.