Saudi Arabian Dress Code

Visitors to Saudi are expected to dress in a conservative, smart fashion.

Men should wear suits and ties for business meetings, despite the heat and women should wear business suits (not trousers) which leave as little flesh showing as possible. Skirts should be well below the knee and preferably ankle-length. It is also advisable for women to carry a headscarf.

It is not advisable for men to wear traditional Saudi costume as this may seem bizarre or even offensive behaviour to local Saudis.

The correct observance of dress code is monitored by the Matawain (religious police) who are responsible for the enforcement of modest dress in accordance with Islamic law.

Author

This country-specific business culture profile was written by Keith Warburton who is the founder of the cultural awareness training consultancy Global Business Culture. 

Global Business culture is a leading training provider in the fields of cross-cultural communication and global virtual team working.  We provide training to global corporations in live classroom-based formats, through webinars and also through our cultural awareness digital learning hub, Global Business Compass.

This World Business Culture profile is designed as an introduction to business culture in Saudi Arabia only and a more detailed understanding needs a more in-depth exploration which we can provide through our training and consultancy services.