Two head cloths
The shemagh and the ghutra are the traditional men's head coverings of Saudi Arabia, worn with the Saudi thobe and a black egal. The shemagh, white with square patterns in red, has been the most common headwear in the Kingdom since the mid-1970s.
The ghutra is a plain white cloth of lightweight cotton, folded into a triangle when worn; a patterned version in yellow or white is usually kept for winter. Saudi dress is known for the variety of ways in which these cloths are worn.
The egal and the occasion
The egal is the circular cord that sits over the head cloth. The finest is woven from black goat hair known as al-mar'az, the standard circumference is 110 cm, and its placement and angle can signal the customs of a region. The muqassab, or shatfah, worn by King Abdulaziz, King Saud and King Faisal, was known as the kings' egal.
Invitations to official events usually call for national dress, and when the King or the Crown Prince attends they also specify the colour of the mishlah, the cloak worn over the thobe. The thobe should be clean and pressed, the right hand rests inside the right sleeve of the mishlah, free for greeting, and shoes are black or match the cloak.