Jeddah Wedding Hall at Night

Wedding Halls are a big business here in Saudi Arabia.  They are found in pretty much every neighborhood.  New ones are even more elegant than the ones built before.  Most Saudi weddings tend to be very elaborate and expensive.  I've only been to women's weddings here (only women are in attendance, except for an appearance by the groom and close male relatives), but mixed gender weddings are becoming more commonplace the past few years. 

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Jeddah Family Sign at Restaurant

A "Families Only" sign at a local restaurant here in Jeddah - means that "Single Men" are not allowed in this section.  Many restaurants in Saudi Arabia are still gender segregated and have separate entrances and dining areas for single men and families.

Our World: WWE in Jeddah

Last April the WWE came to Saudi Arabia and put on a show for a mixed crowd of 60,000 men, women and children at King Abdullah Stadium in Jeddah.  That women were allowed to attend an event such as this was in itself historic.  Until recently, women were not permitted inside a sports stadium - period. 

Some of the WWE legends making an appearance in the first ever Greatest Royal Rumble 50-man event were:  John Cena, Shinsuke Nakamura, The Undertaker, Chris Jericho, Triple H, Kalisto, Rey Mysterio, and many more.  For a video and more information about the results of the matches, CLICK HERE. 

A big "Thanks" to my friend and amazing photographer Abdullah Yahya for allowing me to share these beautiful photos for today's post of this event which he attended.  Stay tuned for more fantastic pics from around Saudi Arabia taken by Abdullah.  Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @ayaa1977

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Saudi Arabia Sign Graphics for Segregation

I just love noticing the different gender segregation graphics found here in Saudi Arabia used for separate entrances in restaurants and sometimes other businesses.

I also find the toilet sign graphics really cool and interesting too.

Saudi Arabia Restaurant Segregation

This Red Lobster Restaurant offers entirely separate entrances and dining areas for single men and families - in compliance with strict gender segregation laws in Saudi Arabia.  Many restaurants also have privacy screens or individual dining rooms for families available for those seeking an even higher level of privacy. 

In light of the many overhauls the country's young Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman is implementing, this might be one of the areas in which we might expect to see changes made. 

Our World: Saudi Toilet Signs

I enjoy showing the many different creative gender distinctive toilet signs used here in Saudi Arabia.

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Our World: Gender Segregated Gates

As many times as I've been to this beach resort north of Jeddah, I've never seen anyone adhere to these gender segregating signs indicating that men and women need to use separate gates a few feet apart...



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Our World: Saudi Arabia Restroom Signs

These graphics represent the markers for toilets for women and men at a beautiful large chain hotel in Jeddah.   I always enjoy seeing the different versions of graphics here in Saudi Arabic

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Our World - Saudi Toilet Signs

I love taking photos of the signs for men's and women's toilets here in Saudi Arabia.  I like the graphics.

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SkyWatch - Saudi Wedding Hall

Weddings are a huge business in Saudi Arabia, as in many places around the world.  Fancy wedding halls abound, with elegant decor, lighting, and dramatic staircases.  The weddings I have attended usually are segregated by gender and generally there are no men in sight, except when the groom and maybe his father make an appearance in the wee hours of the morning.  When that happens, the women in attendance rush to slip into their abayas and veils so they are covered up properly.

 
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Our World: Gender Segregation Sign

Gender segregation is one of the things that I dislike most about living in Saudi Arabia.  Shops that cater specifically to women's products, like lingerie or cosmetics, usually do not allow single men entry into them.  Restaurants generally have separate entrances and eating areas for single men and for women or families. 




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Saudi Arabia: Families Only

Places in the mall such as this Victoria's Secret are off-limits to men who are not accompanied by female family members.  It's a little hard to make out, but the sign belong the store name says "Families Only."  So a man who wishes to purchase something for his wife from shops like this cannot do it unless he brings along his wife or another female relative, like his mother, sister, or daughter. 

Our World: Gender Segregation Signs

There are many things that I like taking photos of here in Saudi Arabia - like camels, sculptures, architecture, and signs.  The huge variety of signs with creative graphics for bathrooms indicating "Men" and "Women" and for restaurants which indicate separate entrances and sections for "Families" and "Single Men" always attract my attention. 

I also like seeing the signs written in both Arabic and English.




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Our World: Sexy Saudi Ladies Clothing

Another shop window display featuring clothing one might not expect to see in Saudi Arabia.  This type of clothing might be worn at private parties (ladies only) or for a woman's husband in the privacy of their own home. 

 


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Our World: Ladies Section of Bank

Gender segregation is taken to an extreme here in Saudi Arabia.  The other day I showed you the Family Entrance at a Red Lobster Restaurant.  Today's post features a local Jeddah investment bank that has an entirely separate Ladies Section.

 


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Jeddah: Red Lobster Family Entrance

Restaurants in Saudi Arabia generally have an entrance and eating section for families and another separate entrance and eating area for single men.  Strict gender segregation is part of the culture here, and it is one of the things that bothers me most about life here.  It is unnatural, and after 8 years here, I still haven't gotten used to it or grown to like it at all.

I personally happen to feel that the severe gender segregation in Saudi Arabia causes more problems than it is trying to prevent - as a result, many men have no idea how to behave themselves around women, harassing them, calling them nasty names, and saying inappropriate things.  There is also a very high divorce rate here - many young men and women have an unrealistic idea of relationships and marriage and many couples do not really know one another very well when they marry.  The gender segregation also seems to promote homosexuality, a reality which Saudi Arabia prefers to deny the existence of.

Creepy

Despite laws now in place requiring businesses in Saudi Arabia that cater to women to actually employ females to sell those products, there are still some businesses that don't seem to have gotten the message.  Most lingerie and cosmetics shops in malls have made the switch to replace salesmen with a female sales force.  But I have still seen shops here and there that still employ men to sell brassieres and panties to Saudi women - ironic for a place where there is strict gender segregation enforced.  These photos were taken in a Jeddah mall just a few days ago.   

Saudi Arabia: Gender Segregation

I thought this was an interesting shot to show the reality of the extreme gender segregation in Saudi Arabia. This picture shows a popular cafe in the Red Sea Mall, with the single males' section in the lower half of the photo.  The smaller women's/families' area is toward the top of the photo.  You can also clearly see the variety of clothing choices the men and children are wearing, while the women are all wearing black abayas.  The strict gender segregation is something I still haven't gotten used to in the five years I have lived in Saudi Arabia. 

Jeddah: Female Prayer Room Sign

Because Muslims are required to pray five times daily, many malls offer prayer rooms or have designated prayer areas for people to pray. There are always separate prayer areas for men and women.

Saluting Hardees in Jeddah

Hardees global restaurant chain has been in the news lately in Saudi Arabia because it made a bold move in hiring females to work in a few of its restaurants in Jeddah.  This may not sound like a big deal or seem like a reason for controversy, but it is.  To read more about this issue, CLICK HERE.