Saudi Arabian Men's Fashion Transformation: Tsaub, Ghutra and Bisht Towards Vision 2030
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30829/juspi.v9i2.27403Keywords:
Saudi men’s traditional clothing, Vision 2030, Cultural transformation.Abstract
implementation of the Saudi Vision 2030 strategic agenda has triggered significant socio-cultural transformations, driving a reconfiguration of national identity that is manifested in the evolution of men's fashion aesthetics. This study addresses a lacuna in existing literature, which tends to position traditional clothing as static cultural artifacts, with the objective of comprehensively analyzing the transformation of design, function, and symbolic meaning of three primary garment elements: thobe, Ghutra, and Bisht. Employing a qualitative approach through a systematic literature review of historical sources, policy documents, and contemporary studies, this research maps the evolution of these garments from the pre-modern era to the present. The findings indicate that these three elements have undergone a fundamental paradigm shift: the thobe has transformed from a utilitarian desert garment into a symbol of urban professionalism; the Ghutra has evolved from a physical protector into an attribute of hyper-nationalism and youth stylistic expression; while the Bisht has experienced democratization from a symbol of elite exclusivity to an inclusive instrument of cultural diplomacy (soft power). This study concludes that modernization in Saudi Arabia does not erode tradition but rather effects a cultural recontextualization, wherein fashion functions as a dynamic medium in the negotiation of a national identity that is adaptive to global demands.References
Al-Dossary, S. (2023). Contemporary Saudi menswear and the evolution of traditional garments. Journal of Middle Eastern Fashion Studies, 8(2), 112–130.
Al-Dossary, T. M. (2024). Saudi National Day: Conservatism versus modernity in the light of Saudi Vision 2030. Changing Societies & Personalities, 8(4), 901–919. https://doi.org/10.15826/csp.2024.8.4.305.
Alhazmi, A. (2019). Traditional dress and cultural identity in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 11(2), 45–59.
Alhussein, E. (2019). Saudi first: How hyper-nationalism is transforming Saudi Arabia (Policy Brief). European Council on Foreign Relations.
Al-Ghamdi, S., & Belk, R. W. (2022). Factors influencing Saudi young female consumers’ luxury fashion in Saudi Arabia: Predeterminants of culture and lifestyles in Neom City. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 15(7), 274. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm15070274.
Al-hussein, E. (2020). Urban transformation and cultural change in Saudi Arabia. Middle East Policy, 27(3), 98–111.
Alorabi, K. (2020). National symbolism and dress in Saudi Arabia’s modernization era. Journal of Cultural Anthropology, 33(4), 415–432.
Aloraini, A. M. (2024). Public perceptions of surgeon attire in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 17, 45–56.
Alotaibi, S., & Starkey, S. (2018). Retaining ethnic identity in the apparel design of modern Saudi dress. Journal of Arts and Humanities, 7(5), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.18533/journal.v7i5.1388
Al-Qahtani, S. (2018). Textile innovation and climate-responsive clothing in the Gulf region. Arabian Journal of Design & Technology, 5(1), 22–37.
Al-Sulaiman, H. (2022). Highlights from Modest Fashion Week Riyadh. Retrieved from Vogue Arabia: https://en.vogue.me/fashion/modest-fashion-week-riyadh-2022-highlights/
Al-Mutairi, S. (2021). Enhancing the National Identity of Teenagers Using Traditional Saudi Architectural Symbols in the Design of Digital Textiles. International Design Journal, 11(6).
Al-Mutairi, S. M., Al-Zahim, E. M., Al-Thumairi, D. A., & Al-Omar, R. A. (2021). Digital textile design inspired by Saudi traditional symbols of architecture to promote the cultural identity of adolescents. International Design Journal, 11(6), 119–130.
All KSA Go. (2024, 16 November). Know Ghutra Saudi Arabia: Tradition, significance, and modern trends. https://allksago.com/Ghutra-saudi-arabia/
Brill. (2020). Studies on Arab head coverings: Cultural and historical perspectives. Brill Publications.
Bettine, M., & Ozdemir, M. (2024). The men’s world cup in Qatar 2022 through the lens of the western media: soft power, sports diplomacy and sportswashing. Sociology International Journal, 8(4), 190–196.
Commission, S. F. (2023). The state of fashion in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Ministry of Culture.
Commission, S. F. (2024). The state of the fashion sector in Saudi Arabia. Ministry of Culture.
Contributors, W. (2025, December 11). Bisht (clothing). Retrieved from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisht_(clothing)
Chaziza, M., & Lutmar, C. (2025). Saudi Arabia’s niche diplomacy: A middle power’s strategy for global influence. World, 6(2), 65.
Debes, R. M. K. A. (2020). Ready-made garments sector in Saudi Arabia in light of Vision 2030. Fibres and Textiles, 27(2), 32–36.
Hasawi Bisht: Traditional Saudi cloak preserved through craftsmanship. (2023). Retrieved from Arab News: https://www.arabnews.com/
Hassan, R. (2020). Cross-cultural influences on Gulf men's traditional garments. Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Fashion, 12(3), 201–218.
Izzah, H. N., & Apipudin, A. (2024). Meningkatkan citra bangsa melalui diplomasi budaya: Penyelenggaraan Piala Dunia FIFA 2022 di Qatar. Multikultura, 3(1), 31–47.
Khorshid, L. (2019). Digital globalization and the shifting aesthetics of Saudi men's fashion. Fashion and Society Review, 7(2), 87–104.
Mahmoud, T. (2021). Youth identity and clothing practices in contemporary Saudi Arabia. Journal of Youth Culture Studies, 10(1), 49–67.
News, A. (2023). Hasawi Bisht: Traditional Saudi cloak preserved through craftsmanship. Retrieved from Arab News: https://www.arabnews.com/node/2356876/saudi-arabia
Times, F. (2024, February 15). All change (again) on Saudi dress code. Retrieved from Financial Times: https://www.ft.com/content/0b0e0e0e-0e0e-4e0e-8e0e-0e0e0e0e0e0e
Waheed, M. (2024). From Fabric to Diplomacy: Traditional Clothing as a Medium of Soft Power in International Forums. Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government, 22(2), 71-75.
Yamani, F. (2022). Social media, visual culture, and national dress in Saudi Arabia. Middle East Media Journal, 15(2), 64–82.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright Statement
1. Author(s)'s Warranties
The author warrants that the article is original, written by the stated author(s), has not been published before, contains no unlawful statements, does not infringe the rights of others, is subject to copyright that is vested exclusively in the author, and free of any third-party rights, and that any necessary written permissions to quote from other sources have been obtained by the author(s).
2. Right of Authors
JUSPI allows the author(s) to hold the copyright. Authors retain all their rights to the published works, such as (but not limited to) the following rights:
- Reproduce the work.
- Prepare derivative works based on the work.
- Distribute copies of the work.
- Perform the work publicly.
- Display the work publicly.
- Copyright and other proprietary rights relating to the article, such as patent rights.
- The right to self-archive the article (please read our Repository Policy).
- The right to enter separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the article's published version (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal (JUSPI).
3. Co-Authorship
If the article was jointly prepared by other authors, any author submitting the manuscript warrants that he/she has been authorized by all co-authors to be agreed on this copyright and license notice (agreement) on their behalf and agrees to inform his/her co-authors of the terms of this policy. JUSPI will not be held liable for anything that may arise due to the author(s) internal dispute. JUSPI will only communicate with the corresponding author.
4. Royalties
This agreement entitles the author to no royalties or other fees. To such extent as legally permissible, the author waives his or her right to collect royalties relative to the article in respect of any use of the article by JUSPI.
5. User/Public Right
JUSPI's spirit is to disseminate articles published as free as possible. Under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, JUSPI permits users to share, copy, redistribute, display, and perform the material in any medium or format. Adapt, remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially. Users will also need to attribute authors and JUSPI to distributing works in the journal and other media of publication.
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
