Dress
As a Muslim country, there are a number of religious laws which must be obeyed by everyone in Saudi Arabia and this conservative state begins with the dress. The men generally wear an all-white dishdash, which covers him from the shoulders to the feet. On their heads, men wear a red and white checkered cloth called a keffiyeh, which is generally loose-fitting and the bottom is often tossed over the top to be a bit cooler. Women in Saudi Arabia almost always wear black and their dress is called an abaya. Women cover their hair, as required by law, with a black cloth called a hijab, which is wrapped around their neck so only their faces can be seen. Although not a law, it is very uncommon to see a Saudi woman without her face covered, again with a black cloth called a niqab. Today this traditional dress is still the norm and it is very rare to see anything but this dress on the locals.
As a visitor to Saudi Arabia, foreign men are not required to imitate this local dress, although men are expected to cover up, meaning everything from the wrists and ankles up should be covered. Unlike foreign men, foreign women must dress in a like fashion as the locals and must cover their entire body; although it is not a law to cover your face, it is very strongly encouraged and many foreign women find it more comfortable since not covering one's face tends to receive a huge number of odd looks. It's important to note that women must cover their hair by law.