This is one of the blogs that I recently added to the SaudiBlogs.org list. It is written by a British man who moved to Saudi Arabia few months ago, and it is quite amusing to see what a foreigner has to say about his experience here. BTW, he has an advice for blondies: “If you are a blonde haired woman and you are planning on coming to Saudi you had better be prepared to be stared at. A lot.”
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Saudi Jeans 
Hey Ahmed. I just noticed that your blog has been shortlisted for the 2006 Weblog Awards. Congratulations!!
RE Blondes in Saudi: Well, as a red head, I would concur that it is hard to be light-haired in KSA, which is the reason I just gave up after awhile and began to wear a head scarf anytime I was in a public place–as the muttawa always made a bee-line for me!
Which.
Was.
Not.
Fun!
Ha, found you here!
Not just be stared at, but also be assumed to be sexually available if not an out-and-out sharmoota.
There seem to be a lot of Saudi males who get stuck in some early stage of puberty where they have a completely sexualized view of the world.
Its not just the females who get stared at a lot, but as a guy, I have seen other guys undress me with their eyes. Sickening but true.
Mansur
It’s not just Saudi that has the staring problem; I’m a tall, well-built redheaded woman and I certainly attracted attention when I worked in India. Even in a modern city like Bangalore, it is difficult for a white woman to walk around on her own, which was annoying for me, as I’m always walking on my own in the UK. It did make me think about how Westerners are perceived in the rest of the world, and if you were only subjected to pop videos, then perhaps it’s not totally surprising that some men make assumptions, seeing how much sex is used to sell in Western media. It’s sad, but understandable.
Keep up the blog, Ahmed!
Tanya: It’s not just the marketing with sex thing.
Take a look at Abdulrahman Munif’s Cities of Salt books. Even in the 1940s–long before satellite TV or any TV in the KSA for that matter–Western women were seen as morally defective because they were not covered adequately.
Hello dear Muslim Brother! I found your blog through the Hoder (Hossein Derakhshan)’s link. of course you know him, the father of persian blogging and the first persian blogger… it was very interesting for me to read your daily notes specially about the political and social issues of the day. I wanna suggest you to take a visit from the world’s youngest journalist (Although he dosen’t own this title right now). maybe we can be in touch with together and it would prepare a suitable situation for ideas exchange. I will dedicate a particular post of my blog to you and it could be so honorable for me if you surf my blog and maybe qoute some parts of it for your observers and readers… thanks for your patient.
I’m an American guy who found out about your blog from one of our newspapers. I’ve never been outside the USAm except grad school in Montreal, but I read blogs and websites originating outside my country to try to understand the world better. I’ll be back! Yours from Bob in Brooklyn.
Yeah, Saudi guys tend to like blondes. But that is normal, people like what is different.
I am blond and blue eyed, I like dark hair and eyes.
Some blondes dont mind. Head to the Four Seasons here in Georgetown(DC) and you’ll see that they come there to meet the Saudi guys who come here for business.
It is not only the teenagers or normal Saudi’s who go after blondes but it is the “LEFT” (conservatives) who are after them. They brain wash innocent Saudi youngsters, in order to create violence against whites.
The image that is created is that, they (blondes) will take away all the traditions from the Saudi Society, and introduce modern technology and educated Saudi Population. The use of the word “Islam” is placed, where ever they may face a problem.
Hi…I’m a saudi female myself and live in my own country in riyadh city..am covered and all and I get stared at alot..so it’s an issue more related to the culture than what the recepient looks like or wears.of course the guys take more freedom staring at women so called”parading their stuff”which I find very uncivilised and pathatic.Boys should be taught from early age to respect THE OTHER..let it be the other gender,color,race or personality..We are a society that doesent easily accept THE DIFFERENT if accept it all..
Lets pray for a change.Regards
staring at someone, be it due to sexual pervertness or some other reason, is weird. you point out an extreme, i will point another. why is a women covered in black abaya stared at in the so called civilized countries. it might sound weird, but there are women who find abaya as a protective shield and simply do not want to take it off simply cuz they moved to a western country and are more ‘westernized’. whats ironic is the stare these women get from white people. I would not be astonished if the same white people get stared at in the desert kingdom.
we should not sterio typing others. any thing that is starnge or ubnormal to the whole comunity an ddo not get use to see it, most of peopel will satre at it cause they see it stage.. i lived in teh united states for a few years and wehn i visit some veliges they satre at me and my wife cause we are differnt.. and teh more teh peopel get opend to other socities teh less they get annoyed or feel like to look (stare) at others. jsut a jock,if saudi satrded to blonds, american belive they are stobid and more likely to be ….
We should not stereo typing others. Anything that is strange or abnormal to the whole community and do not get use to see it, most of people will stare at it cause they see it stage… I lived in the united states for a few years and when I visit some villages they stare at me and my wife cause we are different… and the more the people get opened to other societies the less they get annoyed or feel like to look (stare) at others.
Ps. if Saudi started to blonds, American believes they are stupid and more likely to be… (it is not me who say that, Just read all their comics and watch their movies
Interestingly, I am very very blonde, live in Riyadh, don’t cover my head, and find the only folks who stare at me are kids. I am surprised, considering that of all the other non-Western places I’ve been/lived, I was stared at constantly.