MIDDLE EAST CLOTHING GUIDE
As I am nearing finishing EVERY country in the Middle East, I thought it was time to put together a little guide on what to wear as a woman visiting each of these countries. Each country is unique; some countries you’ll find it’s more progressive and trendy, while some you’ll have to be fully covered. Whatever the case, here’s my top tips on what to wear in every country in the Middle East as a woman.
what are the differences between islamic veils?
Before extensively traveling in the Middle East, I honestly didn’t know much about the different types of Islamic veils; it’s important to provide a little background before getting into the clothing aspect. I truly believe that visiting these countries — no matter what your beliefs are — it’s important to respect a country’s culture.
A hijab is the most common type of Islamic veil that you’ll see to cover the hair and is normally used to describe a headscarf, but a hijab means much more than that — it encompasses one’s behavior, speech, and dress in accordance with Islam. Therefore, when you see me use the term “headscarf” it’s used to describe a non-Muslim woman covering her hair.
You’ll also see women using the “niqab,” or “full-faced veil,” but from my experience as a traveller you will not need to wear it unless you’re visiting mainland Yemen. Chadors are commonly found in Iran, and the only time you’ll have to wear one is visiting the mosques, where they’ll provide one at the entrance. Burqas are only found in Afghanistan and are not required as a tourist.
Now that we’ve gone over the different types of Islamic veils, let’s get into what to wear specifically in each country!
bahrain
Bahrain, a small island gulf state in the Middle East, offers a rich blend of history, culture, and stunning architecture. After doing a road trip in Saudi Arabia, I flew to Dammam and crossed the land border to Bahrain, my 94th country. In general the country is more progressive and has the Gulf State “glitz and glamor” vibe so feel free to wear whatever you’d like; with the “Sofia Richie” clothing trend I think that’s perfect for Bahrain — modest dresses that cover the shoulders or flowy clothing.
Iran
Iran is the only country with a mandatory law that women must cover their hair. You’ll see a lot of women trying to push that rule where it sits on the back of their head. The women in Iran are gorgeous and are super trendy — I would say the main thing is to wear something loosely-fitting that covers your behind. Pants, a tunic-long sleeve that covers your bum, and a headscarf. I wore skinny jeans, a blouse, a chiffon robe I bought in Uzbekistan, and a headscarf and that was perfect. Despite the mandatory headscarf rule, there is no need for an abaya.
Iraq
I’ve only been to Iraqi Kurdistan, not Iraq proper, but in general if you visit the north (i.e. Erbil) it’s also pretty progressive and women are stylish. Iraq proper is a little more on the conservative side so I’d pack more long flowy neutral-colored dresses. Even though it’s generally more progressive it’s still not a place you really want to stand out in. As for the north, winters get pretty chilly and as you can see, I wore skinny jeans, turtle neck, and combat boots. I also visited in the fall when it was hot and wore a flowy long-sleeve chiffon top. Headscarves are a must to pack for mosques.
Jordan
Jordan is a super-touristy country so you can wear whatever you’d like. I honestly wore shorts and a tank top the whole time and I felt fine. Since I was still pretty new to traveling around the Middle East (Jordan was my 63rd country) I didn’t think about it much, but knowing what I know now I’d probably go for something with the “Sofia Richie” vibe — a flowy dress or flowy linen pants with a tank top.
Kuwait
Even though Kuwait is a Gulf State country, I’d say it’s a little more on the conservative side. I think the “Sofia Richie” vibe with flowy linen pants and a tank top (not spaghetti strap) would be fine, but I felt most comfortable in this flowy dress I’m wearing above. It’s also nice to start incorporating light scarves into your Middle East wardrobe because you never know when you’ll be visiting a mosque and need to cover your hair real quick!
Lebanon
My 146th country, after visiting nearly every country in the Middle East it was so good to be in Lebanon! I was quite shocked that the local women wear pretty sexy cut-out dresses, shorts, tank tops — anything goes. So do as your heart desires! I just wore jeans and a tank top and not once did I get a single “look,” or felt uncomfortable. That was a great feeling to be in such a fashion-forward Middle Eastern country.
Oman
Oman is definitely half-half when it comes to wearing whatever you want versus dressing conservatively. Visiting cities like Muscat or Nizwa, flowy dresses and clothing is the way to go. The olive green dress shown in my Kuwait photo I actually had custom-made in Oman and it fits perfectly for every aspect! You’ll see them being sold all over the souqs for $8 and this is a great staple to buy for your Middle East wardrobe; they’ll tailor it on the spot for you. If you visit the wadis or islands — shorts and tank tops are okay since you’re out there and hiking but make sure you have a change of clothes if you head back to the city.
QATAR
Qatar was actually my first Gulf State country, my 45th country! It’s also another fashion-forward city so flowy linen pants with a tank top, flowy dresses, or even pants and a blouse would be fine. I don’t recommend shorts and a spaghetti strap tank but in general Qatar is pretty relaxed.
SAUDI ARABIA
When you normally think of Saudi, you picture all the women dressed in black abayas and niqabs but I was pretty surprised at how fashionable the women were and it was a little more relaxed than I was expecting. I would say bring a long flowy dress, but shop for all the fun abayas! For more info read my guide on Saudi Arabia, where I have map links of where to shop. You’ll see a lot of women wearing a long dress plus a fun cloak, like I’m wearing above. I’d also recommend purchasing a black abaya and headscarf if you want to visit places like Medina so you blend in a little more. Plus it comes in handy for other conservative countries like mainland Yemen or Afghanistan.
SYRIA
Syria is another fashion-forward country, but I’d place it on-par with Iraq in terms of what to wear — jeans, long sleeve top (I wore a flowy chiffon blouse because it was really hot instead of a turtle neck), and combat boots. I think it’s also good to bring closed-toe shoes in countries where you’ll be walking around historical sites a lot or places where you’ll see the country’s destructive past.
Turkey
I don’t really think of Turkey as totally part of the Middle East since Istanbul is technically in Europe, but regionally it’s part of the Middle East so I’ll add it. Turkey is another country where anything is fine, as you can see I wear jeans and a t-shirt! I wouldn’t wear shorts in Istanbul but it’s fine on coastal towns and beaches obviously. At mosques they have headscarves available for women to use while inside so you don’t have to worry about lugging one around while you’re sightseeing.
united arab emirates
The UAE is pretty much the “Las Vegas of the Middle East,” — since it’s such a huge transit hub, you’ll see all walks of life from all over the world! It gets crazy hot during the summers, or even late spring and early fall. Shorts and tank tops are fine so feel free to wear whatever you’d like. The only time I wore something other than my “normal clothes” was applying for a visa at the embassy of Afghanistan in Dubai.
Yemen
I’ve only visited Socotra Island, and since you’re so remote hiking and camping anything goes. I pretty much lived in my shorts, tank top, and bikini until we were stranded in the capital of Hadiboh. Then I found a dress to wear the rest of the time (it turned out to be pajamas but the lady didn’t tell us that when we bought them…). On the other hand, if you visit mainland Yemen that’s a whole different story and you must have a black abaya and niqab to blend in.
