Bahrain

Newt and I ran into some members of the United States military stationed at the Naval Support Activity in Bahrain (near Manama). It's really hot here - so hot in fact, that poor Newt is sweating in places he never thought possible (eww). We asked the sentry how hot it really is today, and it is 115 degrees F - no heat index. Given the extreme temperature, we figured people would be walking around in shorts and beach wear. So I asked some of the Americans why they were dressed in long pants, and stuffy shirts. They told us they have a dress code that is strictly monitored. Here is an excerpt of their regulation:

Civilian attire will present a neat, conservative appearance. Clothing will be loose-fitting and concealing. Neither males nor females shall wear shirts or blouses of sheer fabric that could be considered revealing. In concert with Arabic cultural standards, shorts are prohibited in public except when actively engaged in jogging or other sporting events. (Cutoffs and tank tops are examples of apparel not to be worn in public as liberty attire.) Shirts or ball caps with military, political, religious, heavy-metal music, or illegal drug themes or logos shall not be worn. Conservative, clean denim pants (jeans) are generally acceptable for liberty; however, personnel should be advised that some hotels and clubs expect patrons to dress more formally (e.g., coat and tie) and that hotel security personnel will not allow access to the such clubs unless personnel are properly attired. Traditional host-nation attire male attire (thobe and guttra) shall not be worn by U.S. military personnel. Traditional host-nation female attire (abaya) shall not be worn by U.S. military personnel except in areas where such attire is required, which include Riyadh and Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia. Female travelers to those areas should check with their host points of contact to determine if an abaya is required.

And Bahrain is considered to be a very liberal country in the Arab world!