The black abaya (a full-length loose fitting robe) and niqab (full-face veil) were once emblematic of the restrictions placed on Saudi Arabian women, and those who strayed from this dress code ...

And in certain Saudi regions of that era, older women remember, there was nothing shocking about going out in a casual short abaya or wearing modest clothing with no outer cover at all.

Today, women traveling to Saudi Arabia do not need a male companion, and are not required to dress any more restrictively than what would be deemed “modest.” Living in nearby Qatar for the ...