What is it like to live in Saudi Arabia?

https://www.quora.com/What-is-it-like-to-live-in-Saudi-Arabia

Samantha Smith, Formerly on the board of advisors of The Child Center.

Updated Nov 9

I lived in Saudi Arabia for almost 12 years as a Saudi wife. I wore the veil and
followed the customs completely. In the beginning I hated it. I wasn’t readily
accepted by my husband’s family and I didn’t speak or understand the language,
which made it extremely difficult. Eventually I did learn the language and I was
accepted by my husband’s family. I learned the customs. I lived with my mother-in-
law the first 2 1/2 years. That too was difficult. Every woman wants her own home,
but if I had not lived with her, I would not have learned so much. By the time I left I
was deeply in love with Saudi Arabia and her people. I was extremely sad to leave. It
had become my country.

I loved the closeness of the families. In the west, you see many single mothers
struggling to support and take care of their children. That doesn’t happen in SA.
There, when a woman divorces, she goes back to her family, her parents, her brothers
and sisters, etc. and they take care of her and her children. She doesn’t have to raise
them on her own. The family raises them. There is also no need for nursing homes
for the elderly. They are kept at home with the family and taken care of by the family.
They are respected for their wisdom and always treated with respect, never as a
burden! Families are so close knit. Almost every night the children and
grandchildren all go to the grandparents’ house for a huge dinner and to just have
fun. The family stays so close to each other this way. You never feel lonely. If you
have a problem there is always someone to talk to. It feels wonderful to be loved by
so many people!

Until today I go back to the kingdom once a year to see my sons and my ex in-laws. I
still love them like my mother and my sisters!! Another very important thing I loved
was that my children were always safe! We didn’t have to worry about paedophiles,
kidnapping, etc. They could play outside and we knew they were safe! And they
always had tons of cousins to play with, because the families tend to be so large! Did I
mind covering my face with the veil? Not at all! If I was having a bad hair day and
needed to go shopping, I didn’t have to worry about it! I didn’t care about covering
my face! I didn’t feel the need to have strangers see my face. If I went to my mother-
in-law’s house for a big family dinner or to a wedding or party, I took the veil off as
soon as I arrived. It was only in front of men that were strangers that I covered.

My husband was the love of my life. I happily did everything for him. I also did it for
my father-in-law, who I loved more than my own father. He was the kindest man I
have ever known and understood how difficult it was for me in the beginning and did
whatever he could to make it easier. I will always be grateful to him. Saudi Arabia is
and will always be my second home. It’s not perfect, but what country is? It’s quickly
changing! The young women cover their hair now, but are abandoning the veil
covering their face. I still wear mine out of respect for my family and because I am an
older woman. I miss my life there.