Abaya

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Real-life Saudi Arabian streets (Khobar)
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Real-life Saudi Arabian streets (Khobar)
Residents of private compounds of  in Saudi Arabia are not subject to the strict rules applied elsewhere
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Residents of private compounds of Saudi Aramco in Saudi Arabia are not subject to the strict rules applied elsewhere
An abaya is a women's garment worn in Saudi Arabia, and sometimes other places in the Persian Gulf region. It is a long-sleeved, floor-length, loose, usually black, garment worn over other clothing when a woman leaves the protection of home. It is worn with a headscarf (hijab) and sometimes with a veil (niqab).

Saudi religious police enforce the wearing of abaya and hijab on all women, even foreigners. Those rules however do not apply in some areas. (See Dhahran for example)

Other Muslim countries have their own versions of Muslim modest dress for women: see burka and chador.

See also

The abaya is worn by women and men. Reference the many clothing outlets on the Internet using the term for both genders, and showing photographs of same.

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