How Saudi women dress. Unusual women of Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest state on the Arabian Peninsula. Surely you know that in this country there are a number of very strict laws, including even the death penalty, and no one considers women here at all. As of 2009, the country ranks 130th out of 134 countries in terms of infringement of women's rights. Despite numerous restrictions and rules, the women of Saudi Arabia do not stop fighting for their place in this life and do everything possible to be considered as full members of society as men.

Car driving

Traditions: In the 21st century, the kingdom remains the only place on the planet where there is a ban on driving a vehicle by females. Residents of the country, being abroad, do not miss the opportunity to drive. But even having an International Driving Permit in their own country does not entitle them to a driver's license.

Changes: In the summer of 2017, a book by one of the most prominent activists in Saudi Arabia, Manal Al-Sharif, “Dare to Drive: A Young Saudi Woman Who Defied the Kingdom of Men,” was published. The publication was preceded by last year's nine-day arrest of Manal for driving. She not only got behind the wheel of a car, but also filmed it on video, and later added a video to YouTube, initiating a grandiose action of defiance among other compatriots who followed her example. As Manal herself says: “The fight is not about driving. It's about becoming the driver of your own destiny."

Participation in outdoor sporting events

Traditions: Little attention is paid to sports in women's schools and universities, and the beautiful half of Saudi society is completely forbidden to attend open sports competitions.

Changes: Only in 2012, Sarah Attar and Vijdan Shaharjani became the first representatives of the women's team of the Saudi Kingdom at the Olympics in London. They competed in sports such as track and field and judo. And although the sports results of the girls were not impressive, their names have already gone down in history.

Guardian Consent

Traditions: It seems wild, but a woman in Saudi Arabia cannot marry or file for divorce on her own, get an education, work and travel. Even in order to rent a house, open a bank account or have a medical operation, according to the norms of the country, you must first obtain the permission of the mahram - the male guardian.

Changes: Aziza Al-Yusuf is another well-known figure among Saudi women - fighters for their rights. Last year, she took an active part in the movement to abolish guardianship by men. The campaign quickly gained momentum on the Internet, and more than 14,000 of Aziza's compatriots signed a petition demanding the removal of guardianship rules.

The country's leadership made concessions. By decree of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud dated April 17 this year, 2017, it was decided that the guardianship system would finally be revised. According to the royal decree, government agencies within three months must issue new laws on the abolition of guardianship and provide the most simplified list of procedures in which the consent of the man is still required. It is still too early to judge how large-scale and deep the changes will be.

Sex segregation rules

Traditions: To appreciate the severity of the laws in Saudi Arabia, it is enough to know that a woman can be punished simply for talking to a male representative who is not her close relative.

Public places and institutions are divided in the country into men's and women's zones. Separate training is provided in educational institutions, a clear separation is observed in restaurants, cafes, shops and offices. Even international companies such as McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Starbucks provide separate areas for men and women in the country.

Changes: The development of social networks made it possible to circumvent existing prohibitions and choose the circle of at least virtual communication on their own, while showing some caution. And the opening in 2009 of the first joint university for the education of boys and girls gives hope for the liberalization of the existing order in communication between the sexes.

One of the people on the Forbes list, the CEO of the Saudi financial company Olayan and a well-known activist in the struggle for women's rights, Lubna Olayan, was the first to talk about the abolition of sexual segregation, arguing this with the need to build a developed economy in the country. Although the share of the employed female population is 17%, every second working woman has a higher education. For comparison: among men, only 16% can boast of a diploma of higher education. Women use every opportunity to receive education, whether it be distance learning or study abroad, which has become possible since 2008 with the consent of the guardian.

And in May 2017, the daughter of the American president, Ivanka Trump, who is widely known for her active position in issues of female employment, held a meeting with Saudi women leaders, noting later on her Instagram: “The need for empowerment and inclusion of women knows no borders and cultures. Whether it's in the United States or Saudi Arabia, we must recognize that women's empowerment is a key factor in the process of economic transformation."

Marry at will

Traditions: Although the year 2005 brought the abolition of forced marriages to the kingdom, the agreement between the father and the future spouse of the bride is still mandatory. In such circumstances, when a woman does not take part in negotiations about her own destiny at all, there can be no question of any independent choice of a spouse.

Changes: The issue moved a little off the ground in 2016. A woman now receives a copy of the marriage contract and the opportunity to protect her rights, including during a divorce. I would like to believe that the changes will not stop there and in the near future every woman in Saudi Arabia will be able to choose her life partner, guided only by her own desire and the call of her heart.

Right to early release from prison

Traditions: In Saudi Arabia, there is a long tradition that a prisoner can be released ahead of schedule if he memorizes the Koran or receives a pardon from the king on religious or public holidays. However, the Saudis serving sentences in prison cannot count on their memory or on the mercy of the king. A woman can only be released with the permission of a male guardian, who often insists on an extension.

Changes: The only weapon of women in this case is to achieve publicity and attract the attention of the world community to their cause. Sometimes this mechanism works and a long-awaited release occurs. “I think it's our job to fight for our civil rights. The authorities are moving in this direction and carrying out many reforms, but we ourselves need to develop as a civil society, develop non-profit organizations,” said Princess Amira al-Tawil, an influential Saudi woman, vice president of the Alwaleed Philanthropies charity foundation, who has repeatedly spoken publicly in foreign media for expansion of the rights of compatriots.

Dress code

Traditions: According to the law, the fair sex can appear in a public place, covering all parts of the body with the exception of the oval of the face, hands and feet. In 2011, it was ordered to hide the eyes from strangers.

Changes: Women would not be women if they did not strive to assert their right to dress according to their own taste and the trends of the times. Following local style icons, Saudi women are increasingly venturing beyond the black abaya (traditional long dress) by experimenting with colors, styles and embellishments in their wardrobe. Princess Dina Abdulaziz Al Saud, thanks to her delicate taste and skillful combination of oriental flavor and western innovations in her style, is known far beyond the borders of her homeland. Dina, who took over the helm of Vogue Arabia last July, has become an inspiration to the kingdom's multi-million female audience, and Christian Louboutin even named one of the shoes after her.

Guardianship of your children

Traditions: The Family Code is another point where the female half of the population of Arabia is infringed on their rights. The legislative framework of the Saudi Kingdom assumes that children who have reached the age of seven are completely in the power of their father. During a divorce, joint custody of children is out of the question if the father expresses a desire for the children to stay with him.

Changes: Thanks to the efforts of women, who gained the right to enter the legislative council in 2011, since 2013 domestic violence has been criminalized. In the same year, women were officially allowed to work as family lawyers. Such, albeit minimal, changes towards increasing women's rights give hope that the legal status of the wife and mother in the country will become more secure. And the fact that the number of women-initiated divorces has increased in recent years is evidence of women's greater self-confidence and readiness for the difficulties associated with the divorce process and life without a husband.

witchcraft, magic

Traditions: Islam is the official and only permitted religion in the state. Moreover, in the "country of two holy places", in addition to the body responsible for overseeing the observance of Sharia norms, there is also a special police department for catching "witches". Any activity to predict the future, divination and conspiracies, witchcraft and magic is prohibited. And no matter how ridiculous these accusations may sound in the modern world, the punishments for them are quite real - from a prison term to execution. Since 2009, more than 500 people have been detained under these articles. Two Saudi women were convicted only because they were found talismans.

Changes: not yet.

Life does not stand still, and the activists of Saudi Arabia by all means bring closer the day when they can enjoy all the rights and freedoms that are given to every person from birth - regardless of gender and country of residence.

However, many are still skeptical about the possibility of lifting the driving ban in the near future, since the majority of conservatives, whose influence in the country is strong, are firmly convinced that allowing driving a car can become a lever for the transition to a Western way of life and the destruction of traditional values.

In early 2012, the government began considering a proposal for a nationwide women-only bus system. Activists were divided in their opinions, some supported the idea, arguing that it would reduce the frequency of sexual harassment of taxi drivers and transport costs. Others criticize that this is an escapism from the real issue of recognizing women's right to drive. In July 2011, a Jeddah woman was sentenced to ten lashes for driving. This caused a public outcry, since before that the woman was required to sign an obligation that she would never drive. The punishment of flogging began to be applied after the rallies in support of women's rights in June. King Abdullah vowed to protect women's rights and overturned the verdict.

Women also cannot travel abroad without the permission of a male guardian, this prohibition applies to wives, adult unmarried daughters and sons of Saudis under the age of 21, even if they are citizens of other countries.

In September 2013, a group of 16 women activists staged a car rally, for which they had to pay a fine of $80, and their guardians were ordered to hide the keys to the women.

Legal issues

Political life

Noura Al Faiz, Undersecretary for Women's Education, is the first Saudi woman to hold this level of public office.

Princess Lolwa al-Faisal describes her views as being moderately conservative, advocating reforms that would, however, be in line with Islamic norms, stating the following:

“Islam sees men and women as equal but different. The ultra-conservatives and ultra-liberals actually seek to destroy the true Islamic image, but we keep it. Although there is still a problem with the interpretation of the law in the courts, Saudi women in some cases have more rights than in the West: their property is inviolable, and men are obliged to take care of them, and Western indiscretion leads to poor parenting "

Nevertheless, Lolva supports women's suffrage in municipal elections. During an interview with the princess, Thomas Friedman asked her what she would do if she were queen for a day, she replied: "The first thing I would do is let women drive."

In 2013, for the first time, the Saudi government provided sports for girls in private schools. At the end of 2015, for the first time, women gained the right to vote and take part in municipal elections. Among the candidates were registered 5938 men and 978 women. Salma bint Khizab al-Oteibi received the post of deputy in the province of Mecca. Despite this, during the balloting, women candidates were required to speak behind the partition or they were represented by a man. In addition, more than 130 thousand women took part in the voting, which, although insignificant compared to the 1.35 million male voters, is small, but is already considered an impressive figure for the first women's vote.

New forms of communication

Against the backdrop of strong gender segregation, alternative modes of communication began to gain popularity, with the help of technology and communication. For example, the anonymous correspondence of women and men through bluetooth technology is very popular, and the Saudis were the pioneers of this type of communication.

Saudi women, often without any opportunity to express their opinion, use social networks for this, one of these women states the following:

“In Saudi Arabia, we live more in a virtual world than in a real one. I know a lot of people who have romances through Facebook text messages but never actually meet. Many women also use Facebook to express their political and human rights, as in real life they simply cannot or are afraid »

Some conservative clerics are calling for a Facebook block, arguing that it promotes gender mixing and is a "door to lust." In 2010, the social network was temporarily blocked due to the fact that it did not "correspond to the moral values of the inhabitants of this country."

Criticism

Western critics often draw a parallel between the situation of Saudi women and the apartheid that existed in South Africa and extended to the black population. As evidence, they cite restrictions on women to travel, study, choose a profession, access to courts, and political speech.

Representatives of The New York Times newspaper write that Saudi women are now deprived of the same rights as they were once black / colored during apartheid in South Africa. Some critics say outright that Saudi Arabia's gender policy is a crime against humanity and needs to be intervened by the international community. They also criticize the US government, which wages an information war against their enemies - the Taliban, and political ally - Saudi Arabia is often bypassed, although their gender policy is in many ways similar to the Taliban. Maria Kaldor argues that the discriminatory policies in Saudi Arabia and the Taliban are in fact the same. On the contrary, political commentator Daniel Pipes sees that despite gender segregation, women have the opportunity to go to school or work.

Western companies that cooperate with Saudi Arabia and observe gender segregation in the territory of their country are also criticized. So, for example, Starbucks and Pizza Hut built separate rooms for women in their restaurants, and in the men's areas the service is much better and faster.

In 2001, Washington Post editor Colbert King noted that, as in Saudi Arabia, in South Africa the apartheid government viewed international criticism as an interference with its sovereignty and internal affairs. And then American corporations operating in South Africa had to obey local laws. And Colbert compares the policies of Western companies in Saudi Arabia to the “racist” Sullivan Principles that existed among Western companies in South Africa, but in this case, women, not blacks, are the object of oppression. Journalist Ann Applebaum argues that gender apartheid in Saudi Arabia is of no interest to American feminists. Because while the civil rights movement for blacks in South Africa was heavily supported by American civil rights leaders such as Jesse Jackson, American feminists have little interest in working with Saudi activists. One of the reasons is that anti-apartheid actions are almost impossible to carry out in conditions of rigid gender segregation, especially for foreign women.

The cultural relativism of Saudi Arabia is at the root of the de facto inaction of feminists such as Azar Majedi, Pamela Bohm and Maryam Namazi. They argue that political Islam in the country is closely linked to misogyny, and that Western liberals' desire to be tolerant of Islam often blinds them to the issue of discrimination and violence against women. Majedi and Namazi are themselves from Iran, which has also had a discriminatory policy against women for 40 years, one of them says the following:

“Roughly speaking, because of my place of birth, I have less rights than the same woman who was born in Sweden, England or France”

Pamela Bohn says feminist apathy is fueled by a dreary cultural relativism that pervades many women: “We're no better than them; We must not impose our opinions on them; We must look only at our own shortcomings,” and cultural relativism comes from fear, since criticism of Islam can often be equated with racism in the Western sense.

Anne Elizabeth Meyer, an American scholar of Islamic law, believes that gender apartheid is enshrined in the very constitution of Saudi Arabia:

9) "Respect the values of Saudi society, its traditions and rituals", educating the younger generation "on the basis of the Islamic faith, its prescribed devotion and obedience to Almighty Allah, His Prophet and authorities."

10) "Strengthen the Arab family, preserve Islamic family values, create the necessary conditions for improving the well-being and developing the abilities of members of Arab families."

Mayer argues that Articles 9 and 10 are leverage to deprive Saudi women of any opportunity to participate in public law or government, namely while respecting the values of pre-modern Islamic law in order to maintain the traditional patriarchal family, and keep women subordinate, thus this is main root of gender apartheid.

Tags: woman, Saudi investors, Saudi prince, animals,

There are many rumors and tales about how women live in Saudi Arabia, which, at first glance, arouse interest, but do not cause doubts, since this country is unknown to a simple layman, and he takes on faith everything that somewhere once heard. It is usually argued that women live there very hard: no rights, no freedom of speech, no opportunity to somehow express themselves.

However, if you travel around Europe or other countries of the world and about Russia, you can hear a huge number of fables that have no basis. The only truly correct way to find out the truth is to travel to Saudi Arabia.

In fact, the position of a woman in the ordinary and Muslim world is a concept of different poles. And a girl who has arrived, for example, from Europe, will immediately feel the restrictions and prohibitions. So, women are forbidden to be on the street without a man, and he must be a spouse or close relative who has reached the age of majority. Arabian women cannot drive a car either. In addition, they cannot walk in anything other than a long black robe that covers the body from head to toe, a kind of dress-coat called an abaya, and if the woman nevertheless committed an illegal act, the husband bears responsibility for her. All this information is easy to find on the Internet, but it is much more interesting to make sure “live” of the veracity of the assumptions.

The most difficult thing, however, upon arriving in the country (which is not so easy, especially for women who are extremely difficult to obtain a visa), is to ask a real Arab woman about the conditions, since the catch is that women are not allowed in the presence of men who are not relatives. In addition, the fair sex from the Arab Emirates cannot visit absolutely all public places. The only way is to get an invitation to visit from local residents.

Housing in Saudi Arabia

By the way, remarkable features can be found not only in the way of life, but also in the dwellings themselves. As a rule, this is a cluster of one-story buildings with its own rather large courtyard and garden. Indoors, there are usually very low sofas, on which the people of Saudi Arabia like to sit much more than on the usual high (uncomfortable for them) European chairs. Earnings for men, as it is right, are quite large, therefore it is not uncommon to find huge plasma screens and rather expensive furniture and appliances in houses.

Women and outfits

When guests come to the husband, the wife usually does not come out to them, and if something is necessary, she calls the internal telephone. However, they are allowed to see women who come to visit. By the way, they walk around the house in ordinary and familiar European clothes. The difference between street and home outfits is explained by the fact that traditionally women are used to keeping their beauty from prying eyes, showing it only to relatives. For them, this is a kind of comfort zone, and women do not suffer from this at all. The custom has been around for many years, and women simply take it not just for granted, but as correct and the only true.

Even if a family friend is a man, a woman can only go out to him in black attire, but with women it’s easier - they can see them in ordinary clothes. By the way, Arab girls prepare amazingly delicious national coffee with a nutty flavor, reminiscent of weakly brewed tea in color. The ability of a wife to properly brew such coffee is a reason for the true pride of her husband.

In addition to the modern clothes that they wear in the house, women do not only speak Arabic. Almost every local girl can boast of knowledge of English at a decent level, and some speak other languages. By the way, all abayas are the same and monotonous only at first glance, in fact they come from different fabrics, can be decorated with sparkles or rhinestones, and putting on such an outfit correctly is not so easy, there is a certain sequence. And abayas differ in style, the fashion for which changes every season, as for the most ordinary outfits. Women of the United Arab Emirates in following trends are no different from European or American.

It is impossible not to note the practicality of such black clothes in everyday life. An Arab woman is not forced to dress up or make up to go out, say, to a store or somewhere on an urgent matter. It is enough just to throw an abaya on everyday clothes (even on pajamas or a bathrobe) and the woman immediately looks decent and decent. She doesn't even need to paint. All this saves quite a lot of time, which can be used for more necessary or interesting things.

Beneath the black robe, which seems to those unfamiliar with Arab culture to be an unchanging, monotonous thing, women from Saudi Arabia wear ordinary clothes, no less fashionable than non-Muslim women are used to wearing. But only family and friends see her. By the way, Arab women attend parties where they come in fashionable dresses and sets. They wear shorts, miniskirts, and tops. Of course, with a black suit on top, which you can take off at a friend's house. Naturally, there are no men at such parties.

arab girls

You should also not believe the information from the Internet, which says that Arab women are stupid, and obsessed exclusively with household chores, and apart from that they don’t know or see anything. On the contrary, they are quite well educated and modern. However, the fact that they are unlikely to be frank with a stranger, especially if it is a man, and generally talk for a long time, makes us consider Arab women downtrodden and modest.

By the way, they have their own half in the house, where there are usually modern household appliances and almost every home has Internet access, so you should not assume that Arab women live in an information vacuum. They watch movies online, sit on social networks and use Skype.

Rights and opportunities for girls in the UAE

Women in Saudi Arabia are not slaves. The fact that they wear a black abaya, often, by the way, decorated not only with rhinestones, sparkles, but with embroidery and even precious stones, does not mean at all that there is a weak-willed creature under it. The rights of women are protected by the marriage contract, violating which the man is responsible and the punishments for offenses against women are often much more severe than in other states. Moreover, they can concern not only such egregious facts as assault, for example, but also ill-treatment (rudeness is also considered) or even the failure to provide decent living conditions. In addition, Arab women have the opportunity to work. With certain restrictions, but nonetheless. They also receive a good education.

It is worth talking about training separately. Saudi Arabia has special universities for both men and women (separate, of course). Moreover, not only the fair sex, but also men teach, but without direct contact. The teacher is in one room, the students are in another, and the training is conducted using a huge plasma screen. If one of the students has a question, she can call the lecturer on a special internal phone. Women themselves believe that their education is quite good. True, some gaps in geographical education are revealed in communication, which, however, can be attributed to the fact that confusing the names of places where you have never been is not so scary. You should not just think that they never leave their country or city. It happens that women travel with their husbands, but this is not as popular, for example, as in Europe.

Women from Saudi Arabia know very little about the life of other peoples and are very interested when they manage to meet a woman of a different nationality (since it is forbidden to communicate with strangers), they ask about traditions, national clothes, and food. In general, they are curious about Europeans all the information that Europeans themselves are interested in in them. They learn the strange habits of other women and men for them from someone's words, or by reading articles on the Internet.

Arab women often study not in order to work, they are interested in knowledge in itself, and work only in terms of passion or desire to be useful - a man traditionally earns money. If he parasitizes, this is not just a disgrace, but also, in a sense, an offense. Although traditions do not allow Arabs not to provide for their wives and sit idle.

There are special institutions in the country, for example, banks, where both visitors and staff are women. True, one has to work not without restrictions, but in general it is allowed to do this, contrary to the beliefs of visitors. The most significant nuance is that in order to start working or studying, a woman must obtain permission from the head of the family (spouse, father, brother).

Marriage in Saudi Arabia

Many also believe that getting married in Saudi Arabia is mandatory for those just out of childhood or adolescence. In fact, the age for marriage there, as elsewhere in the world, is on an upward trend. Often Arab women get married after finishing their university studies. Marriage at 25 or 27 is not considered something out of the ordinary, although the older generation is not entirely happy and agrees with this state of affairs.

By the way, about the tradition of marrying a girl to a “pig in a poke”, that is, a man for whom she not only has no feelings, but whom she has never seen at all. In fact, things are somewhat different. Indeed, the spouse is chosen by the parents. The parents of the bride and groom also agree on the conditions of the wedding. But the future husband and wife first meet about a month before the proposed wedding, where they have the opportunity to get to know each other. If they do not like each other or cannot find a common language, relatives most likely will not insist on marriage.

Auto

As for the ban on driving a car, you can’t argue with it, of course, but Arab families usually have a driver who is ready to take a woman wherever she needs at any time, and you don’t have to do homework yourself either, since most often there are special au pairs.

Conclusion

Arab women do not envy European women. On the contrary, they are horrified that they are forced to constantly be in front of other people, unable to hide their faces and bodies. However, it could not be otherwise, because both of them were brought up in completely different cultural conditions. Cases when a wife provides for a husband who stays at home seem wild and unnatural for an Arab woman. They are proud that they can not work without a desire, but at the same time, they constantly feel surrounded by care. Women from Saudi Arabia, as a rule, do not experience dissatisfaction with their lives.

How do women organize their lives in a state that ranks 130th out of 134 in the ranking of infringement of women's rights.

The life of the 15 million female population of Saudi Arabia is subject to a mass of prohibitions, but Saudi women go to extremes and tricks to protect their legal status and ensure minimal freedom in the most closed country in the Muslim world.

Car driving

Activist Manal Al-Sharif driving a car

Participation in outdoor sporting events

Sarah Attar at the London Olympics Olivier Morin

Traditions: Little attention is paid to sports in women's schools and universities, and the beautiful half of Saudi society is completely forbidden to attend open sports competitions.

Guardian Consent

Sex segregation rules

Voba Kat

Traditions: To appreciate the severity of the laws in Saudi Arabia, it is enough to know that a woman can be punished simply for talking to a male representative who is not her close relative.

Although the share of the employed female population is 17%, every second working woman has a higher education. For comparison: among men, only 16% can boast of a diploma of higher education.

Marry at will

Zurijeta / Shutterstock.com

Right to early release from prison

Changes: The only weapon of women in this case is to achieve publicity and attract the attention of the world community to their cause. Sometimes this mechanism works and a long-awaited release occurs. “I think it's our job to fight for our civil rights. The authorities are moving in this direction and carrying out many reforms, but we ourselves need to develop as a civil society, develop non-profit organizations,” said Princess Amira al-Tawil, an influential Saudi woman, vice president of the Alwaleed Philanthropies charitable foundation, who has repeatedly spoken publicly in foreign media for expansion of the rights of compatriots.

Dress code

Princess Dina Abdulaziz Al Saud

In the "country of two holy places", in addition to the body that oversees the observance of Sharia norms, there is also a special police department for catching "witches"

Guardianship of your children

witchcraft, magic

Changes: not yet.

October 10, 2018, 22:52

TALIDA THAMER

The first model of Saudi Arabia. She is only 17 years old, she was born in the port city of Jeddah in the Italo-Arab family and is a citizen of Saudi Arabia. The girl's mother is Italian, she was a professional model. Now Talida is studying in Milan, but she is going to live in Saudi Arabia.

This year, the girl opened the Antonio Grimaldi show in a white trouser suit.

And a few days before the show, Talida appeared on the cover of the July issue of Haper's Bazaar Aribia. And it was her first photo shoot for a magazine.

Being a model for a girl from Saudi Arabia is quite a bold move, because for this she can be condemned.

But in Saudi Arabia, a "fresh wind" is clearly blowing. Princess Haifa bin Abdullah al-Said posed for Vogue Arabia driving a car - a photo shoot is timed to coincide with the lifting of the ban on driving for women.

PRINCESS AMIRAH AL-TAWIL

Amira met the prince when she was doing a journalistic assignment for the school newspaper when she was 18 years old. Before marriage, the girl graduated from the University of New Haven in the USA and received a degree in business administration.

She abandoned the abaya and preferred to wear modern clothes.

In addition, Amira has an international driver's license and drives a car herself.

In 2008, Amira marries Al-Waleed for Talal Al Saud. Her husband is a member of the royal family, the nephew of the current King Salman, an entrepreneur and an international investor.

Having married, she became the third, but at that time the only wife of the prince. The husband was 28 years older than the princess

In 2013, the marriage broke up. Perhaps due to the lack of children. They say Amira cannot give birth due to medical reasons.

Her ex-husband is quite an interesting personality. First, his grandmother is Armenian. Her family fled the Ottoman Empire during the Armenian Genocide. At the age of 12, she was introduced to King Abdulaziz, at 15 she gave birth to her first son, who died. Secondly, he never had several wives at the same time. Thirdly, he is the only one of the princes arrested in November 2017 who had nothing to do with public service. He has always been in business. During the arrest, during which the prince went on a hunger strike more than once, his fortune decreased by $1 billion. Apparently, this is the price of freedom.

Let's go back to the princess. On September 9 this year, Amira al Taweel married 39-year-old billionaire businessman Khalifa ibo Butti al-Muhairi. Groom from the UAE. The luxurious ceremony was held at the Vaux-le-Vicomte Palace in France.

wedding guests

Another incident is associated with the name of the princess and this wedding. An anonymous Saudi princess has been robbed in Paris these days. Jewels totaling 800,000 euros were taken out of the Ritz hotel room.

DINA ABDULAZIS

I already wrote about her in the post “Fun of rich Arabs”, so only photos

FATIMA KULSUM ZOHAR

This girl is the wife of the former King of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah, who passed away in January 2015 at the age of 90. He was a great lover of women, had about 30 wives. But he was a true Muslim, so he did not keep more than 4 wives at the same time in the palace.

Very little is known about Queen Fatima. She was born into a very simple family, studied at the Dubai International College, and trained as a lawyer. No one knows how a girl from a simple family attracted the attention of the King. Fatima is the only one of the King's wives who lived in his chambers. We would never have seen her face if she hadn't suddenly started a Facebook page in English.

ADILA BINT ABDALAH

Beloved daughter of the former King of Saudi Arabia. She is known for her commitment to reform and wants to change the position of women in Arab society. The princess opposes the black veil and abaya, which girls wear from the age of 13. In addition to reforms, Adila draws public attention to the problems of people with special needs.

RIM BINT AL-WALIB IBN TALAL

The princess was born in 1982 in Saudi Arabia. She lived for many years in the United States, where her father was an ambassador, studied at George Washington University, and received a Bachelor of Arts in Museum Studies. When she returned to her homeland, she became the CEO of Al Hama LLC, a corporation that manages several fashion brands in the Middle East.

Her name became known to the world community when she was arrested in November 2017. Her father is Prince Al-Walid ibn Talal, whom I wrote about above. This is the first first princess to be arrested in Saudi Arabia.

Prior to this, princesses were arrested only outside the country. For example, in 2013, Princess Meshael Alaiban, wife of Prince Abdulrahman bin Nasser al Saud, was arrested in California for keeping an African housekeeper as a slave.

In 2001, in Orlando, Florida, Binah al-Said was arrested for abusing a maid.

In 1995, another princess beat a servant in public.

Often the situation of women in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is compared with the situation of the people of the DPRK, but the young and courageous are trying to change the situation. The young successor of the King, whom I wrote about in the last post, has only one wife. Of course, the prince is still young and maybe he will have many, many more wives, but he is trying to change something in the position of the women of his country. For some reason it seems to me, or I just fantasize, that the only wife whispers something at night into the ear of the future King.