how do clothes contribute to the cultural identity of the people in Saudi Arabia?

Answer 1

The thobe, the ghutra and the igal constitute the usual outfit for most Saudi males - see 1st link below.
MALE DRESS
THOBE: The traditional clothing for men is the Thobe, a loose, long-sleeved, ankle-length garment. Thobes worn in summer are generally white and made of cotton. Thobes worn in winter are generally darker in color and made of wool.
TAGIYAH: The Tagiyah is a white knitted skull cap
GHUTRA: The Ghutra is a square scarf, made of cotton or silk, which is worn folded across the head over the Tagiyah. The end of the scarf can be draped across the face as protection in the event of sandstorms.
IGAL: The Igal is a thick, doubled, black cord which is worn on top of the Ghutra to hold it in place.
FEMALE DRESS
THOBE: Women wear the Thobe - a loose, long-sleeved, ankle-length garment, but, for women, the neck and front can be embroidered and decorated with beads.
ABAYA: The Abaya is a large, black cloak, worn either loose and flowing or wrapped around the body. The Abaya is generally made of silk or synthetic cloth.
BOSHIYA: The Boshiya is a black veil, light in weight, worn across the lower part of the face.
SURWAL: The Surwal are cotton or silk trousers worn by women under the Thobe.

The fact that there is so little variation in dress (especially among women as regards what is worn outside the home - there IS a bit of variation among men in that some wear white ghutras while others wear red and white checkered ghutras, and mutawas (religious police) and other extremely religious males usually dispense with the igal and, in addition, usually wear "high-cut" thobes - gives a sense of uniformity to the culture, of all belonging to the same cultural identity.
For males, the clothes are extremely well-suited (so to speak) to the climate - but that's not the case for the women.
These clothes also emphasize modesty in dress, and, in my personal opinion, show how fearful and jealous many Saudi males are regarding their womenfolk.

But the times, they are achanging. Even when I left the Kingdom in '03, you could see that "western dress" was becoming more and more popular, especially among young Saudi males.- baggy pants, T-shirts and, yes, even the backwards-turned baseball cap.
Among women, outside the home, the rigid dress code remains fully in force, but inside their four walls, Saudi women indulge in ll the latest (and most expensive) fashions: designer jeans and haute couture.

But even in the area of women's dress, some small changes are taking place:
"Saudi Arabia is mainly viewed by others as a traditionally conservative society, particularly in its attitudes towards women. But, below the surface change is happening, even if reformers are wary of moving too quickly in case they face a traditionalist backlash.
We were in Bubbles cafe on the waterfront in Jeddah, the mixed section, where men and women are allowed in together.There were five young Saudi women, some students, some working, one about to be wed in an arranged marriage.They look at me with their bright vivacious eyes, all of them in black from head to foot. One girl even veils her face. But she shows off the butterfly sleeves of her abaya.
"It's the latest fashion", she explains proudly, defending the Saudi dress code. "We're the only Muslim nation that follows the book properly," she boasts.
Time and again, the women I met in Jeddah and Riyadh insisted how women dressed was not the priority, that reform in Saudi Arabia was about other things.
"The abaya for us is like the sari for Indians," says Sabah, an elegant university professor.

"And it's hypocritical of the West to applaud Nepal and Bhutan for preserving their heritage, she says, and then claim Saudi Arabia's traditions oppressed women."
"Anyway it's convenient," she adds. "I wouldn't go horse riding in it, but it's stylish and comfortable."
All those I spoke to agreed, any new reforms must go slowly to avoid a backlash
She teaches me how to wrap my headscarf the Saudi way. Under the chin and twice round the head.
"And if it slips, you just fiddle with it, like playing with your hair. It can be very attractive," she says, laughing.
'Conservative anger'
It turns out life was not always like this.
Sabah remembers coming back from studying in the United States in the mid 1980s and her shock at finding her mother and sisters for the first time swathed in black robes whenever in public.
I was given different reasons why, in the last 30 years, Saudi Arabia's conservative clerics have imposed such strict codes of social conduct.
But all those I spoke to agreed, any new reforms must go slowly to avoid a backlash.
The protest by Saudi women who dared flout the ban on driving during the first Iraq war in 1991 had been disastrous, prompting a wave of conservative anger. That mistake must not be repeated this time.
From a European point of view, its reform at snail's pace. Seen through Saudi eyes, there is a definite shift taking place
"We lost 30 years, derailed by those who rejected the Western model and wanted to go back to the 14th century," said one woman, a senior executive in an oil company.
"We can't afford to lose more time. We educated Saudi women have been quietly empowering ourselves for decades." she went on, "Now we hope society is ready. But we mustn't alarm anybody."
The key, all agreed, was women's education."

There will be changes, but they'll come slowly - which is probably for the best. You can't - and shouldn't - try to change even a small part of a nation's culture overnight.

Answer 2

sure israel will win the conflict and controllling saudi however will allow mecca and medina beneath particular treaty . Israel have robust invincible and complicated air defence drive ample to manage each and every traffics and pursuits to weaken arabs land forces with out invading saudis ,each and every army installations and saudis forces may also be without difficulty ruin from air today's air moves so convenient as what they did in lebanon and syria with none casualties . Western worlds will one hundred % helps Israel in opposition to Islam that for definite . Look like Israel have God help however will see while realty come to the reality.

Answer 3

well , to get full description , look up to john`s answer ..
But I`d like to add after him ..

Colors :

For men , it is usually white , to help in reflecting sun rays , and consequently sun heat from their bodies , as for the desert climate ..

For women , it is usually black to fit their covering , as per the instructions of islam , that orders women to be well covered , and black is the best color in such case ..

Answer 4

If they all where the same thing then I would say cultural unity.

Answer 5

It is my understanding that dress varies by religion and gender. It also may vary further by sect.