The past few years I’ve spent so much time in the Middle East one would think I should have multiple notebooks stuffed with thousands of pieces of advice and ever-multiplying safety tips about travel for solo females in this region of the world. This is my advice for traveling in the Mid East: I don’t have any. I honestly believe life is safer in the Mid Eastern countries where I’ve traveled than back in my little town in Connecticut.
There are many countries in the Mid East where I haven’t traveled, so I’m not speaking about the entirety of the region. Based on my own experience, I can think of five simple reasons why travelers are safer in this part of the world than most anywhere else.
1) No Drunken Violence – Islam pretty much prohibits the consumption of alcohol, and Muslim countries take this prohibition seriously. Bars and clubs do thrive inside many hotels, but you’re not going to find them on the streets. With not many avenues leading the way to inebriation, people harming others while in the midst of a drunken fit is unheard of.
2) No Drug-Induced Mayhem - The Koran’s prohibition of illicit drugs does much to keep the people of the Middle East from partaking. You don’t see many stoners in this part of the world hanging out with minds so addled by drugs they’re likely any second to drag you into an alley or blow your head off. You can be assured when you go out on the streets you’ll make it to your destination without getting killed.
3) Extremely Strict Sharia Law – To my understanding, all Muslim countries, whether predominantly Sunni or Shiite, operate under Sharia law, taken from the Koran. Some countries are more fundamentalist than other, but no matter how you slice it, Sharia law is very strict. People don’t risk snatching your purse in large part because the punishment can be too severe. I leave money, my computer, camera and cell phone lying around visibly in my apartment in Sharjah even when I know a cleaning person will be coming in while I’m out. Nothing has ever gone missing or even given the appearance of having been touched. Strict.
4) Women Only Zones on Public Buses - This doesn’t actually make me feel safer, but the practice of separating women and families from men on buses is a nice touch for women who might not be comfortable traveling solo in the Mid East. I haven’t seen this gender separation on buses in every Middle Eastern country I’ve spent time in, but where it does exist the rule is not often broken.
5) Birds of a Feather Flocking Together - Where chaos exists, it is likely that more people will arrive and make the scene the all the more unruly. Where people are gathered in peace and quiet, it is likely that more like-minded individuals will join in for some time on the tranquil side. With the people of the Mid East by and large sober-minded members of the second group, there doesn’t seem to be much room for dangerous behavior. The Mid East is safe.
Sabina,
You make a very good common-sense case as to why such restrictive laws can actually work to a woman’s (especially one traveling solo) advantage. In an open and dare I say, freer, society you would be nuts to leave anything unbolted in your hotel room. I believe that I actually heard angels sing when I read that you left currency in full view in your room that was left untouched when you returned. I won’t get misty eyed at the prospect of leaving drunken woo hoo boys behind in the west either. Great post!
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Sabina Lohr Reply:
December 30th, 2010 at 11:21
Hi, Renee – Thanks a lot! Are you heading to the Mid East soon?
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I had to laugh at the road comment. Probably safe, unless you’re braving Sheikh Zayed Road on a weekend! :p
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Sabina Lohr Reply:
December 30th, 2010 at 11:23
Hi, Greta – You’re right. The traffic is not safe, to say the least. Over the Eid al-Adha break here, there were over 700 accidents in Sharjah. In other words, about two percent of the populatoin were in car wrecks. Amazing.
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Hi Sabina! I’ve just discovered your blog via some comments you made on another blog. I’ve always wanted to go to the Middle East (have been studying Arabic for a year now so need somewhere to practice!) so I look forward to reading your other posts about your time there.
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Sabina Lohr Reply:
December 30th, 2010 at 11:42
Hi, Rebecca! I’m glad you found me
Hilariously, I am leaving tomorrow to spend a couple of months in Asia. I’ll be back to the Mid East after that, though. I’ve written tons of other posts on this part of the world already, so maybe you’ll find them entertaining. You should go ahead and come over here. There’s not that many Western Arabic speakers. You’ll impress them 
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Excellent post–and so true! As you know, I spent over a month in the Middle East this summer (Jordan and Syria mostly) and I must say that I agree with your list.
When I was there, I came to appreciate the separation of the genders on buses. It just made things easier and less awkward.
At one point, though, traveling via ‘service taxi’ from Beirut to Amman (yeah, I know–crazy/long trip), I was surprised that they tried to make me sit next to a man. I threw a fit and they quickly allowed me to take the special ‘front seat.’ Female bystanders assisted me, of course, in this rare deviation from the norm.
The bottom line? No matter where I went, I felt very safe. I never used a money belt and more importantly, other women always helped out however they could. I loved it and would go back in a minute for many reasons (mostly loving it there), this just being one of them.
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Sabina Lohr Reply:
December 30th, 2010 at 11:28
It’s surprising they tried to make you sit next to a man. I was on a bus from Sharjah to Dubai and before it took off, a man sat next to me – in the women and family section. I think I was the only female on the bus, and there were other guys already seated in that section too. The driver and the man who takes your ticket before you get on the bus both came back and asked him if he was with me. He said no. Then they very nicely but quite insistently motioned for me to come up to the very front seat of the bus, which I did. I think there were just too many guys on the bus, so it was easier to move me than them.
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I’ve felt so much safer living and traveling in the Middle East than when I lived in New York City. I don’t know if I agree with the Sharia law argument, but the rest are viable reasons for women to consider– and then book their tickets!
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Sabina Lohr Reply:
December 30th, 2010 at 11:37
Hi, Stephanie – I’m glad to hear you feel the same! Sharjah, where I’ve been for the past three months, is extremely conservative and strict, which has opened my eyes to life in a country where the punishment often far outweighs the crime. In other Muslim countries of course they’re not as fundamentalist as here. Still, the people of the Middle East generally speaking don’t seem the type to swipe a computer from a hotel room or knock you down on the street after snatching your purse, even if it’s not always Sharia law that demotivates them.
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Yes! The Middle East is safe, I can totally relate.
Especially on the no alcohol/no drugs issue, it makes a really huge difference!
I live in Cairo at the moment and I found out Egypt is one of the safest Countries in the world when it comes to violent crimes. They pretty much don’t exist here.
I feel so safe even late at night, and no-one ever tried to steal something from me or anything…
Screw prejudice, yalla to Middle East!!!
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Sabina Lohr Reply:
December 30th, 2010 at 11:39
Hi Giulia – You should know
I loved Cairo. I wouldn’t want to live there, but I did feel perfectly safe. I didn’t know about their standing as one of the safety countries in the world when it comes to violent crime, though. Most Middle Eastern countries can say the same, I think.
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Sabina,
Be safe wherever you travel. Study Karate !
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Sabina Lohr Reply:
January 1st, 2011 at 00:16
Karate. I’ve never been interested in it. I’m always safe.
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I’ve found I appreciate the ladies-only part of the bus & recently I wasn’t even aware I was gving glares to the guy who dared to sit there, along with the other local ladies on the bus
I went out last night for New Year’s Eve, standing ten people deep into a bar to buy alcohol was not a pleasant experience, I have to say I am quite used to the larger personal space one generally gets here and didn’t like being pushed around one bit! A quick telling off to the offender pushing me firther in yielded a lot of apologies, though
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Sabina Lohr Reply:
January 1st, 2011 at 07:19
Greta, that’s a great point. I hadn’t been conscious that there is no pushing and shoving here – I became accustomed to the larger degree of personal space very quickly, I guess. I think most everyone would.
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You make some really good points here. When I had my chance to go to Saudi Arabia, I looked into the safety there. It’s actually a very safe country. Even though crime has risen, it is still low compared to many other places. Despite that everyone I talked to about it cited it as a concern.
As far as I can tell, the Middle East is pretty safe. I think people just see the news and come up with opinions without actually looking into the statistics and details. I’m heading there next year and crime isn’t really a concern for me.
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Sabina Lohr Reply:
January 7th, 2011 at 06:01
Hi, Steve. I am positive most people copy their views about the Mid East from TV and other media. It’s kind of comical, actually.
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Kelsey Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 09:45
The main annoying thing about Saudi Arabia is that it’s actually virtually impossible for a solo female traveler to travel there. IIRC, women may not enter the country without a father or husband.
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Sabina Reply:
April 4th, 2011 at 01:48
Seriously? I didn’t know that. I’d love to go, but as an American I don’t think it’s possible anyway.
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This is a fascinating post, Sabina! I dare say most of us who have never been there view the Middle East as the least safe place to travel. I never would’ve considered the opposite argument, but it makes sense.
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Sabina Lohr Reply:
January 7th, 2011 at 06:02
Hi, Gray. I know. I was very concerned before the first time I traveled here also. It seems quite ridiculous now.
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Hi Sabina, Great to find your blog – especially the info on solo travel to UAE. I’m off to Dubai on my own in Feb 2011 to visit a friend & plan to go on day trips and visits while she is at work. I’m considering travelling on to Abu Dhabi on my own afterwards and I must say the comments from you and others about the comparative safety of solo women travellers has given me confidence to go & explore!
Many thanks & happy travels, Jenny
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Sabina Lohr Reply:
January 7th, 2011 at 06:03
Hi, Jenny. I’m very glad to hear that. Abu Dhabi is very, very nice. You’ll be perfectly safe and happy there. Be sure to go to their beach
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I haven’t traveled in the ME, but have traveled in Malaysia, and Indonesia, which (as you know) have large Muslim populations. I enjoy the “lack of” public drunks and druggies. It does make for a much more pleasant travel experience. I have traveled on female only buses in Japan, which are great.
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Sabina Lohr Reply:
January 7th, 2011 at 06:05
Hi, Nancie. Female only buses? I don’t think they have that anywhere I’ve been. Interesting.
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I’m planning a long trip abroad and have been seriously thinking about a long term stay in the ME, but go back and forth.
Your article highlights a lot of interesting bits of information that would really suit me and my kid (I’m a single mom). Can it be said that a day in the ME may be easier for a mom than in NY. Maybe. Guess I’ll find out soon enough.
Anyway thanks for bringing attention to this. My only concern is that the word “fundamentalist” is being used out of context but I get what you’re trying to say.
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Sabina Reply:
March 10th, 2011 at 18:48
Hi – I’m sure most locations in the Mid East are safer than New York. If I had kids I wouldn’t hesitate to take them most anywhere.
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I wonder in the family section, can a man with kids go there? Or it’s only for adult female, and kids?
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Sabina Reply:
February 19th, 2011 at 07:37
I’ve never seen a man with children but without his wife in the family section. I really don’t think that would be allowed, in Dubai anyway. I have seen a man sitting with his wife in the family section, though.
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Hey Sabina, thanks for sharing your adventure at M.E. I was expecting some more pictures but the post you wrote was good enough for me to imagine the things you did. The information in your post are very useful for single mom travelers, well done
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Sabina Reply:
March 10th, 2011 at 18:46
The Western perception of the Middle East is kind of comical once you get to know it a little. Thanks for commenting!
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I’ve been brainstorming about where I should spend the upcoming winter break between school semesters and, give that I’ve just started studying Arabic, I’m really drawn to the ME. However, as a young, lone female traveler, I can’t help but let my inherent American imagination run wild with all the terrifying prospects the media has rammed down our throats about the ME, how silly of me to even think about traveling there, let alone as solo! But seriously, I’m really glad I came across your blog. It has calmed a few fears and reinforced my desire to do! Happy travels!
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Sabina Reply:
April 13th, 2011 at 05:06
I’m really, really happy to hear that my blog has helped calm your fears and reinforce your desire to travel here. I’d suggest the Persian Gulf as a starting point. Dubai would be ideal. The people are quiet, calm, polite, respectful and nice, there are tons of Western tourists, most everyone who lives there seems to speak some level of English, and there’s plenty of stuff to do. I hope you do decide to spend your winter break somewhere in Mid East!
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First of all i appreciate your work coz your are solo female traveler!! but now its not safe to travel to Middle safe .your post was great never heard about this topic ..was new to me ..Great post !!! and i m going to follow your post here after … thx u
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Sabina Reply:
April 13th, 2011 at 05:09
Hi Sheril – thanks a lot for reading! And thank you for your kind words. I’m following your blog now too. But why do you say it’s not safe to travel here now?
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Great post I know that in other countries the penalties for committing a crime makes it worth your while to be on your best behavior. Some rules that make some women not want to live there are some that help protect the solo travel.
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Sabina Reply:
May 2nd, 2011 at 01:00
That’s true. At least in the Persian Gulf I noticed rules/laws that absolutely are meant to protect women, not oppress them.
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It certainly is safe, but unless you dress modestly you should expect some harrassing at some point. And bid by the rules- my wife was slapped on the head by some dude behind us when we briefly kissed on a van while in Tunisia. It pissed me off- if that bothers them, just tell me and we will hapy restrain. Just one bad case, but as for the rest have always been OK.
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Sabina Reply:
May 2nd, 2011 at 01:03
That is horrible. Was it an Arab man who slapped your wife on the head? I’m guessing it wasn’t. Whoever did it probably could have really gotten in trouble for hitting a woman. I think you’re right – it’s just one bad case, and an extreme example too.
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I’ve always found travelling to the Middle-East to be safe and rewarding. Like any country, respect local customs and you can enjoy the diversity of their culture.
When I was travelling in Syria, I found it odd at first to see a group of young women walking alone late at night without concerns for their safety. And it makes you think.
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Sabina Reply:
May 2nd, 2011 at 23:49
Corinne, it’s true. Respect for the culture is really required in the Middle East. And I absolutely feel safer walking around at night in Middle Eastern countries than at home.
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The mideast countries I have yet to visit so thanks for the tips, I guess it is not as bad as the newspapers make it seem but wherever you are you always have to be on guard regardless. ‘Separation’ of genders may seem odd to us Westerners but if benefits a gender then so be it, so long as we are not being oppressed or made worse off for it.
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Sabina Reply:
May 7th, 2011 at 03:34
Hi, Karen. You’re right. It’s not bad at all, despite the media’s decades-long bashing of the region. The separation of genders definitely does not make worse life for the female traveler. Life in the Persian Gulf in particular is just so very different from our own Western lives. The men are actually very respectful, polite and helpful. What goes on behind the closed doors of their homes may be a different story, but as a female traveler you’re bound to experience benefits.
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micaka Reply:
May 17th, 2011 at 20:56
Decades long is the truth, when I told my mum I was going to Dubai for a month she snapped back that it was dirty and why would anyone go there. Its the country of choice for some of the richest people in the world!
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Sabina Reply:
May 20th, 2011 at 03:11
Dirty?! You can eat off the floors of the metro in Dubai. Dirt is probably illegal
Ive always been nervous about travelling for that reason, this might be inspiration for me to get off my bum and actually go!!
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Sabina Reply:
August 3rd, 2011 at 08:18
I hope so, Laura! No reason to be nervous.
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I think the Middle East is very safe for the solo female travelers.
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Sabina Reply:
August 3rd, 2011 at 08:17
I’m glad you do too, Sailor
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I completely agree! I spent some time in Saudi Arabia (albeit not solo) but I felt totally safe – way more safe than I do on the average street in Berkeley, CA where I live. I never felt uncomfortable with my valuables laid out at hotels the way I have in the US or other areas of the world.
And just to note, not all predominately Muslim countries use Sharia as the basis for their law. Turkey has secular law! But I so agree that Sharia can often deter lawlessness.
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Sabina Reply:
August 3rd, 2011 at 08:16
Hi, Christy – I’m glad to hear that I’m not the only one who’s left valuables out in the open and not suffered any consequences. I would love to go to Saudi. I think it would be just fascinating.
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Nice post, Sabina! We always think the Middle East is dangerous- maybe that’s just for men. =) I keep forgetting about the Muslim faith.
When I was in Morocco, there was that similar feeling about women’s safety, even if someone harasses or touches you indecently. They say you can call attention to your victimizer and the public will turn on him and help you.
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Sabina Reply:
October 24th, 2011 at 13:31
Thanks, Christine.
That’s great to know. I haven’t been to Morocco yet, but I think one day I’ll be spending some time there. It sounds just fascinating.
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Hi Sabina. I stumbled upon this blog – being a keen female traveler myself and I’m having great fun reading your adventures. To be honest I would not be comfortable traveling (not to the ME per se) but from my personal experiences of Egypt that was quite frankly intimidating at times. I was appropriately dressed but being a sore thumb tourist made it quite uncomfortable at times being stared at and harassed. I admit I felt a little angry that when I was in public with a male all of this immediately stopped. This is not to say that I did not meet very charming warm hearted locals and the women were absolutely lovely. I wouldn’t say ME isn’t for lone female travelers but if I ever went back I would definitely be taking a travel companion! This does not mean it is not safe of course – I think its just a level of comfort.
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Sabina Reply:
December 6th, 2011 at 12:42
Hi Anabel, I’m so glad you wrote. I really apologize for taking so long to reply. I was in and traveling to and from Cairo for a few days.
I absolutely know what you mean about being stared at because we as tourists stick out like sore thumbs. Simply being different causes at least second looks from most people on the streets, it seems. I noticed on this weekend’s trip to Cairo I was spoken to way, way, way less on the streets than on my first trip two years ago and I attribute that to having learned to somehow get in the Arab swing of things during my several months in the Arab world over the past 1.5 years such that I don’t stick out quite as much now, at least in behavior. And being with a male – especially an Arab male – definitely helps. Since men in Arab countries really aren’t used to seeing unacompanied women in public, having a male along helps us look more normal to them, I think. I haven’t found the attention I get to be of a sexual nature at all, rather people just saying hi, asking where I’m from and wanting me to buy something from them.
I agree with you that we need to have a certain level of comfort when we stick out so much. I do still feel somewhat uncomfortable with it but just tell myself that people at home in the US who have never traveled to the Middle East would probably react with stares and remarks if they saw Middle Easterners walking down the street in their native clothing. We look as odd to them as they do to us, I think.
I admit that I always felt comfortable traveling alone in Europe and elsewhere as well as the Mid East, but I’ve learned so much about this region that it’s a lot easier to get along now than it was at first. If you want to travel alone, just keep on doing it and eventually it will be second nature to you
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I had a friend ask her father, who has traveled extensively in the region and is from India, if I should travel there solo. I have extensive solo travel experience to the “less sketchy” parts of the world (Asia, Caribbean, N America, Europe) but haven’t ventured past that because of crippling fear. He told me that I should NOT go to the ME alone. This post confuses me. Too many conflicting reports. I just feel paralyzed since I’m dying to visit.
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Sabina Reply:
January 10th, 2012 at 12:52
Laura, please set aside your fears and misgivings and visit the Middle East. This part of the world is very safe and welcoming. Some areas in Syria are currently experiencing violence, but as far as I know that’s the only part of the Middle East where anything untoward is happening right now. I’m currently living in Egypt and before that spent three months in the United Arab Emirates, then seven months in Israel. The feeling of safety in each country was far greater than at home in the U.S. Really, the media images are way out of whack with reality.
There are many other people who blog about their travels to this region. Please google the country you’re interested in along with the word “blog” and hopefully you will find several other people who can tell you it’s safe here. Also, please comment here or contact me through my contact form if you need any other advice or words of encouragement.
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LOL, I can understand the appeal of ‘no drunken violence’ as that’s just about a pandemic in Europe these days.
But, having said that, I’ve had no inclination whatsoever to visit a Middle Eastern country as I’ve spoken to few people who’ve enjoyed their experiences in any of them. Too restrictive, too much separation of men and women, and too many human rights abuses.
Sure, they’re not all tarred with the same brush, but there are just far more countries I’d rather visit than go to Egypt, Kuwait or Saudi Arabia unfortunately. The closest I ever get is a quick layover at one of their airports
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Sabina Reply:
January 10th, 2012 at 13:00
Hi Reeves,
Thanks for commenting. It’s a shame you haven’t met many people who’ve enjoyed visiting here. I, to the contrary, haven’t spoken to anyone who’s visited the region and not enjoyed it. Most Middle Eastern countries really aren’t restrictive in many ways, except those who are adhering to strict Sharia law, like Saudi Arabia. There is a great deal of separation of men and women in Muslim countries, which is a result of ancient cultures adhering to practices of yore, as far as I can tell. The separation is beneficial to the women in many cases, as they are allowed to sit in the fronts of buses in some countries while men are relegated to the rear, for example. As far as human rights abuses, do you mean the killings by people demonstrating in various countries during the Arab Spring? Please clarify.
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Great post, Sabina! I moved to the UAE with my husband in 1998, first to Abu Dhabi and then to Dubai, and it’s been our base ever since, even though we’ve spent most of the last 6 years on the road. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard over the years “But isn’t it dangerous?!” The ignorance about the region – even since the UAE and other countries in the Arabian Gulf such as Qatar and Oman have become popular travel destinations – has always astounded me.
Things have changed of course since the Arab Spring, but even as you say in your recent tweets, unrest often occurs in specific areas and as a foreigner/tourist if you stay away from those areas, you’ll likely stay out of harm’s way. Aside from revolutions that sweep across a country, such as that in Libya, and the tragedy now unfolding in Syria that seems to be spreading across the country.
But having said that about Syria, before recent events I would have said that it was the safest country in the region. I’ve travelled there countless times (my husband and I wrote the first edition LP Syria & Lebanon guide, and updated a subsequent edition) and never felt unsafe. In fact, I’ve always felt far safer in the Middle East than I have in certain parts of cities in Europe/Australia/USA.
My experience has been very different to Reeves. I actually can’t recall meeting anyone who hasn’t fallen in love with the Middle East and its peoples. Despite trepidation, once people travel there they tend to become smitten with it.
There is not that much separation between men and women for the most part (Saudi Arabia is an exception of course), mainly in schools (but then we have girls and boys schools in many Western countries too), hospitals, some government departments, etc. The women’s lines in the UAE were wonderful – being able to avoid long queues in banks was bliss!
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Sabina Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 03:35
Hi Lara, thanks a lot for commenting. I apologize for taking so long to respond. This got lost in my pile of legtimate and spam comments.
I grew up seeing so many negative images and hearing so many frightening things about the Middle East, like everyone else at home in America, that it made me really, really curious about this part of the world, which is why I started exploring it a few years back. I first visited Israel at which time I became familiar with both the Arab and Jewish worlds and just fell in love. I’ve never been to Syria or Lebanon and may never go, but I’m sure they are wonderful and amazing, aside from the present daily massacres in Syria.
I actually have found quite a lot of male and female segregation in the Persian Gulf countries, with men and women not hanging out much together in public, not going to the same schools, having different workout rooms or workout times at gyms, etc. I too loved the special privileges afforded to women, such as the special lines, but felt bad taking advantage of them until I could see that all of the men expected me to and looked at me in wonder and amazement if I didn’t cut in front of them in places like bus cues. Women really can have nice lives in the Persian Gulf in some respects, at least.
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I’m impressed with this post. I’ve yet to travel in the Middle East but I often feel it gets a very unfair portrayal from popular media outlets.
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Sabina Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 03:19
Thank you, Samuel. It gets such a bad rap in the Western world. I feel safer in every Middle Eastern country that I’ve visited and lived in than I do at home in the U.S.
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I’m really glad to read this. I was pleasantly surprised to read how many bloggers defined the area as safe. I hope to get to travel more through this region one day.
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Sabina Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 03:22
Ayelet, thanks for commenting. Yes, literally everyone whose Middle Eastern travels I’ve read about or talked to in person realizes this region of the world is safe. I hope you’ll get to travel through more of it some day too
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I loved this article. I came home from a trip to Jordan and Lebanon feeling shocked by how much safer I felt there (particularly Jordan) than in my current city (London). Not having to think about catcalls on the street or gross leers in stores was great. I always felt almost protected. I knew if anything happened there’d be a crew of men around to shame whoever did it. In fact, my husband lost me in the crowd in an Amman market, and when I started calling him a guy behind me started echoing my calls and managed to get his attention.
And I can’t say enough about women only airport lines. If I’m going to be patted down in security, it’s far less humiliating behind a privacy screen!
Anyway, I’m glad we connected on twitter and now I know about your blog! The Middle East is a new obsession for me. I can’t wait to go back.
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Sabina Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 03:17
Hi Marina, it’s great to hear from you. Thanks for commenting.
You’re right – it is just clearly so much safer in Middle Eastern countries than back home. I literally can’t even take a walk after dark in my own neighborhood in the US but I don’t hesitate to do so here in Israel. I think you’re right that if someone did try something with you in a Middle Eastern country the other men who might witness it would not like it. And it’s very cool that that guy started helping you try to find your husband in the market in Amman!
I do hope you get back to this part of the world. The word about its wonders, friendly people and safety needs to be spread.
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