Many women here in Saudi Arabia cover their faces with the niqab (face veil), however it is a very common sight year round in Jeddah to see men wearing face masks because of the poor air quality. Construction projects all over the city, lack of rainfall, and frequent sandstorms all contribute to making Jeddah a nightmare for those of us with asthma or other breathing problems.
It's also pretty common here in Malaysia, especially with the haze that stays with us for a good part of the year!
ReplyDeleteI can see the air quality- and the possibility of sandstorms- being a very practical reason to wear face masks.
ReplyDeleteHow common are sandstorms?
ReplyDeleteI used to think they were seasonal, but they seem to be getting more frequent and not necessarily certain times of the year any more. Definitely unpredictable and seem to be on the rise. While I was gone this summer, there were several really bad ones in Jeddah and Riyadh. They cause traffic accidents and many people with respiratory problems wind up in the hospital.
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