Eleven things women in Saudi Arabia cannot do
Ban on women entering a Starbucks store in Riyadh is latest in long line of restrictions
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Try on clothes when shopping
Saudi Arabia has a plethora of shopping experiences to offer.
New malls and famous brands have been steadily opening stores.
Yet many shops do not have fitting rooms.
Article continues belowThe Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The reason being as most shop clerks are male.
Also, the thought of women disrobing is considered improper.
"The mere thought of a disrobed woman behind a dressing-room door is apparently too much for men to handle," says Vanity Fair writer Maureen Dowd in 'A Girl's Guide to Saudi Arabia'.
Fitting rooms for women are sometimes supplied close to the women's bathroom facilities, which could be on a different floor from the shop itself.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
But this causes inconvenience for both women shoppers and clerks. Particularly if they would like the try several sizes.
Click to page 8 to discover other things women in the Muslim kingdom are still unable to do.
- Top Gear Cenotaph Stunt - 'Clarkson Never Had Such Bad Taste'
- House prices: what are the predictions for 2016?