This is the scene right outside a large mall in Jeddah. There are dozens of men sitting around waiting. They are the drivers employed by many families in Saudi Arabia since women are not allowed to drive in this country. As in many countries around the world, shopping at malls is one of the favorite pasttimes of many women here. The drivers might drive the lady of the house to the mall and then wait outside until she is ready to be driven elsewhere. This is a very common scene here.
11
Jul
09
I am an American woman. I met my husband more than 30 years ago when we were both college students in Arizona. So after all that time in the states, my hubby desired to move back to his native home of Saudi Arabia. I've been in Jeddah now since October 2007. My new home is amazing: interesting, fascinating, and colorful. The people are warm, courteous and as interested in me as I am in them, however they highly regard their privacy. My camera goes with me every time I step out the door - I don't want to miss a thing!
Please be sure to also visit my other blog, 
I wouldn’t mind having a driver every now and then, but not for the same reason they have them there.
Hey, Susie! I was wondering if women had ever been free to drive and work and things like that since for some reason I was under the impression that Saudi Arabia was more modern than most Arab countries.
Have you ever read “A Handmaiden’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood? After I read it I wondered what I would do if that sort of law was imposed on me after having lived in freedom and I know that I would have to oppose it in any way that I could.
I want to ask if women there seem to be, in general, happy or can you see the weight of the oppression on their faces? I will tell you that I was surprised by the photos of the women in the protests in Iran because they were not dressed as I imagined that they would be. That is a place where I expected women to not even be seen in public!
Wow! That is interesting and sad that women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia. Were they ever allowed to drive? I am going to check out your other blog and learn more about what it is like to live there.
I have read that some women do drive in rural parts of Saudi Arabia, but just not in the big cities. I have never seen a woman driving here. Several years ago, some women organized and took to the streets behind the wheels, but many of them were arrested and their lives were made pretty miserable as a result.