Whether it is spring, summer, fall or winter the sun in Saudi Arabia can be piercing, glaring and dangerous. In addition to protecting ones body from the sun rays, one should also remember to wear sunglasses year round when outside in Saudi Arabia. There may be some days when it is somewhat overcast and the sun may not be shining as brightly yet if going outside for a period of time without sunglasses it would not be uncommon to develop a headache later. Even when sitting inside the shelter of a car while on the road, if the sun is out and shining, it is smart to wear sunglasses to protect the eyes. I’m not trying to infer in any way that anyone choosing to go without sunglasses is going to go blind or develop eye problems but many newcomers to Saudi Arabia may not be aware of the intensity of the sun’s rays here.
In fact the Center for Disease Control had the following information posted on its web site for visitors to Saudi Arabia on the subject:
“Wear sunscreen of at least 15 SPF to prevent sunburn, and wear sunglasses with UV protection to prevent sun damage to your eyes.”
And fortunately new arrivals and residents of Saudi Arabia will have no difficulty finding a pair of sunglasses to their preferences. Sunglass shops and stores abound in Saudi Arabia ranging from “functional no-nonsense” type of protective wear to the designer sunglasses from Armani, Chanel, Gucci and others complete with embedded crystals. It is not uncommon for the fashion conscious Saudi woman to have multiple pairs of sunglasses to match her attire and mood.
Filed under: Dress, Health, Saudi Arabia
Well now of course, if you wear the niqab with the extra layer than you can use that to screen your eyes and no need to buy those innovated sunglasses!!!
~said with humor
I’ve seen men walking around wearing sunnies at night in Makkah…how do you explain that? Pure vanity?
Everytime I pick one it doesn’t last 4 days in total.. I am getting frustrated paying 400sr for one that is breaking in a weeks time. I hate that since espcially the types I pick are the ones that can have their lens replaced to fix my short sight.
I hope the next one I buy doesn’t break as easy as the ones before..
A brand that’s becoming vogue in Saudi Arabia is “Yeslam”, a fashion label that belongs to Yeslam Bin Ladin. Yes, he’s the half brother of “That” Bin Ladin.
http://www.yeslam.ch/en/concept.html
Neferiti, it depends, I know my cousin usually picks normal glasses that are gradually shaded to function as sunglasses.
If you see the person with his neck collar buttoned, dressed up and looking sharp in a mall.. thats probably a flirt.
thanks for the good tip, DW!
Saudi Jawa – I wasn’t aware of Yeslam style in vogue but I tell you what…I have never seen so many sunglasses shops as here but there certainly is a LOT to choose from!
ok i admit i’m one who doesn’t wear sun glasses. Mr. Man doesn’t either, we are just bad that way. I think in part is because i tend to be around little hands that will quickly grab glasses of your face. But all in all it just isn’t a habit I have. I’ve bought some sunglasses than never wear them.
I was never a sunglass girl…until I moved to Saudi. I went ahead and hooked myself up with a designer pair because they get alot of use..they might as well look good too:)
Oh, and my biggest pet peve is the women who wear their sunglasses inside, as if they are some sort of hollywood star incognito, and insist on keeping them on when you are trying to talk to them. That is rude. Eye contact is a must for me!
My one and only foray into the high fashion world of sunglasses resulted in much humor and the pointing of fingers…apparently the “bee look” does not suit my coloring…bone structure…or this century…something like that. Guess I will stick to my prescription glasses that change on cue…sigh.
A reason that women might be putting their sunglasses on in the mall (before they leave) is possibly because they can’t be worn on top of the head with the scarf.
Another reason might be to avoid the prying eyes of all the men waiting for each woman (no matter her age) coming up the stairs to shop. I mean, are these guys dreaming that one of these black-clad women are going to fall into their arms on seeing them and profess their love or what?
Ooops, I have a fairly large selection… cool looking ones for fashion, pilot-ones for looking cool and riding horses, special biking ones because they really work better when on my recumbent (my only problem with those is that they look sóóó over the top cool/sporty, that I don’t think I deserve them)
And I wear sunglasses with the slightest rays of sun because it really bothers me.
And also because I like to hide behind them.
I just realized my little icon dude has me looking the coolest I have ever looked in shades…I rock!!!
You sure do ROCK, Coolred!!
I was going to get an old plain pair and my husband picked out a more stylish choice for me. I’m glad he did as I have discovered how prudent it is to wear them here.
Okay Aafke….you’re going to have to do a post about your sunglass fetish with pics of all these differing pairs! (LOL)
Ummsummaya: Yeah I do like eye contact too, but you know sometimes people have prescription sunglasses. So they don’t need to switch while they are out, however I prefer switching if I’m indoors.
Hey, I wear my shades on top of my hijab covered head and I think I look pretty cool;)
I’m refering more to the mothers of my students who come to talk to me and keep their sunglasses on the whole time. I’m like…hmmm are these flourescent lights too much for your eyes that sleep until 2pm???