Saudi Men's Traditional Dress

Saudi men have the option of wearing the traditional dress in public or they can choose to wear Western style clothing like jeans and t-shirts.  The traditional crisp long white tunic is called a Thobe. It's pretty much like a businessman's white dress shirt, except it goes all the way down to the ankles and it usually has a standup collar.  Most often it is made of cotton, but other fabrics are also used.

On their heads, most Saudi men typically wear a plain white scarf called Ghotra or the traditional red and white checkered scarf called Shemagh.  Both are a large square of fabric usually with a border around the edges. The large square is folded in half into a triangle shape. The black loop that anchors the Shemagh in place is called Egal.  

Sometimes a cloak is worn over the Thobe, often during colder weather or for more formal occasions like weddings.  The cloak is called a Bisht and it can be in almost any color and comes in different weights of fabric.  Quite often the Bisht has a wide decorative trim in gold or silver along the front opening.  

Many menswear shops sell gift boxes of Bisht kits that can also include things like the sword, Oud perfume, prayer beads, or the curved dagger called Khanjar with a belt and holster.