Well, in more than two-and-a-half years in Saudi Arabia, I have managed to acquire 19 abayas. I think some women in the embassy community only have one or two. I don’t really buy much here, so this was the one extravagance I allowed myself. Some of them are extremely dressy and haven’t been worn much, some are very plain (and cheap) and get worn all the time around the DQ for things like walking Sahraa, and some are a bit fancier than those, ones that I normally wear out shopping and such, especially those with a scarf/hood attached.

I really objected to the idea of having to wear an abaya before I came here, but must say I’ve gotten used to it, although not the headscarf. I’m going to donate some of them to the embassy for visitor use, but simply can’t bear to get rid of my favorites, although they will probably sit in a closet in DC, never to be worn again.

I do have a couple of more additions to make to this gallery, but surely no more abayas to buy!

The wadi from Al Gatha Garden, posted earlier: