Archives for October 2017

I recently got a great question from an old friend, T, that I thought was very interesting and worth a discussion here — she’s wondering what businesswomen should wear in the Middle East (specifically Qatar, pictured with a stock photo here).

Just curious if you have done any posts on Corporette on appropriate wear for women who have business trips in the Middle East? I just found out that I have to present at [a conference] in Qatar in [a few weeks’] time (the audience will be 99% Qatari men) and give a private briefing to [a VIP who can’t attend the conference]. Internet searching has revealed that I can wear Western attire (no need to don a headscarf, etc.) but on the very conservative end — elbows, knees, and cleavage covered. But I’m still trying to get a handle on how to translate that into actual outfits that will look professional and appropriate to this audience. Perhaps this would merit a discussion to see if any other readers have had business on the Arabian peninsula and their experiences as to what sort of attire they found appropriate? Thanks in advance!

Wow — first, huge congrats to my old friend T; sounds like you’re rocking it — and second, it is a very interesting question. (I’m feeling a bit like the luggage salesman in Joe vs the Volcano who, upon hearing of the great adventure Joe is about to embark on, says, “That’s very exciting … as a luggage problem.”) From my Internet research, the answer seems to vary widely according to the country — Qatar (particularly Doha) looks like it’s very Western, whereas Saudi Arabia is much more conservative, obviously, requiring a long dress. Also from Googling, I’ve seen a lot of images of people at conferences in Qatar where the women wear pantsuits (interestingly, with a lot of peep-toe shoes, which I would have thought would be a no-no — I would stick with closed-toe shoes myself).

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