King Saud University- Women's Section

I feel like in order for people to appreciate the singularity of the women's section of Saudi's largest university, I have to set the scene a little.




Riyadh is very dusty, I think, but I'm not sure because I haven't really been outside except to walk from the hotel to the car and back again. There are very few women on the street, and those you do see are covered head to toe in the exact same black abaya. Everyone is very nice, but there's not a whole lot of smiling going on. And then.... we stepped into the walled compound of the campus. There was grass and flowers everywhere. The weather was gorgeous. Girls were walking around with colorful shirts and exposed hair (gasp!), laughing and talking. It was literally a whole new world. Even though everyone was still wearing black floor-length skirts. Sadly, it's impolite to take pictures of women without their permission, so I also couldn't get any pictures of the flowers that were surrounded by women, but take my word for it, they have an excellent landscaper.

We met with teachers and students in the English and Translation departments, which was enlightening. We heard how there are more women at the university than men these days, and they are all by all accounts much better at translation (if not all subjects- just like in America). In small groups, we were able to ask them all kinds of questions. One of the girls I was talking to (I wish I remembered their names, or could have pronounced them in the first place) told me it was good to have separate universities for men and women, and that she was glad Saudi women can't drive, because if they did there would be a lot more accidents (insert standard joke about women being bad drivers here). She said she had practiced driving in the desert, but that other cars scare her. I can see that... I guess. She said she wanted to go on to study law, nevermind the fact that women can't be lawyers in Saudi Arabia (our university tour guide/golf cart driver totally evaded my question about why there is even a law department when women can't be lawyers, maybe this is already changing?) There were also a number of girls who had grown up in the US and only returned to Saudi relatively recently, that must be a tough transition.



Me with translation majors at King Saud University. Please fail to notice my head scarf-induced bad hair day.

We also spent a long time touring the center for special needs students, which was extensive. The blind students of Georgetown can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think we have that kind of support. Special needs is a relatively new concept in Saudi Arabia, the center has only existed for two years and there were some rather sad stories about the bad old days before it did. But King Abdullah, in his great generosity, has given lots of money for special needs students and the women's department center is expanding and becoming a model for the rest of the country. Go them.

One of the guys will have to write about the men's section, as they are separate and apparently quite different. And our adventures at the national museum and the shopping mall (which were actually very much like museums and shopping malls in the US, except men weren't allowed on the top floor of the mall, called the "women's kingdom." That's where all the action is- who says it's no fun to be a woman in Saudi Arabia?