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by Carol Fleming - 01/09/2011
"Must a woman be expected to cover up or wear an abaya in every country in the Middle East? What are the dress code expectations at work as compared to non-working hours? How an Expatriate is expected to dress answers these questions and more."
How is an Expatriate Expected to Dress?
Expatriates typically accept jobs to work abroad for the sense of adventure, acquiring diverse experience and/or for financial gain. Regardless of the reason there are practicalities that an expatriate must take in to account for living and working in the Middle East region.
It cannot be stressed enough the importance for acquiring information and being as informed as possible about the location in which one will be working. Working abroad is not only about adventure and receiving a paycheck, in order to have a positive and stress free experience, an expatriate should know in advance the customs, cultures and traditions of the country which will become a home away from home.
For example, in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait a woman will be expected to wear an abaya when out in public places. Whereas in places such as Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Oman an abaya may not be expected but it is appropriate for a woman to dress conservatively. She should choose long skirts, loose trousers and long sleeve or elbow length shirts as her standard wardrobe. However in places such as Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Qatar she can dress more freely when going out publicly. Always when in a predominantly Muslim country a woman should carry a long scarf in the event she is in a location where it may be most appropriate to drape over her head. Now with this guidance, a woman should also remember that she represents her country and how she presents herself will also be how citizens from her home country will be perceived.
The expatriate man has more flexibility than the woman in dress codes and apparel. The primary distinction is that if a man chooses to wear shorts when out publicly the length of the shorts should be no shorter than falling at the knee. Muscle shirts are generally not worn while in public locations either. And just like the expatriate woman, the man will be perceived as a representative of his home country.
The above guidelines apply when an expatriate is out publicly such as when grocery shopping, going out to eat, shopping in a mall or an outdoor souk. If an expatriate lives on a compound with other expatriates there are not the same restrictions on dress code.
On a separate note, depending on what kind of a facility an expatriate may be teaching in, a uniform or standard dress code may be in place. This uniform or standard dress code may not only apply to the students but to the expatriate teacher as well. In many cases the “standard uniform” for females is a long black skirt and long sleeve white top. The male expatriate may be expected to wear clean and pressed trousers and long sleeve button-up shirt.
If there is not a uniform code in place, again a teacher must remain cognizant that as an authority figure, he or she should dress in a respectful manner and not be mistaken as a student.
Carol Fleming
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Patricia Woodward