The 1979 Iranian Revolution and subsequent Grand Mosque Seizure in Saudi Arabia caused the government to implement stricter enforcement of sharia . Saudi women who were adults before 1979 recall driving , inviting non-mahram ( unrelated ) men into their homes ( with the door open ) , and being in public without an abaya ( full-body covering ) or niqab ( veil ) . The subsequent September 11 attacks against the World Trade Center in 2001 , on the other hand , are often viewed as precipitating cultural change away from strict fundamentalism
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Women's rights in Saudi Arabia