In Pics: Saudi Arabia hosts first Arab Fashion Week

Saudi Arabian edition of the Arab Fashion Week will see designers from Europe and the Arab world showcase their designs over the course of four days, starting on March 10.

Saudi Arabia’s first ever Arab Fashion Week kickstarted on Tuesday with luxury designers Jean Paul Gaultier and Roberto Cavalli headlining the show.

It will see designers from Europe and the Arab world showcase their latest designs over the course of four days -- including the kingdom's own Arwa Banawi, whose 'The Suitable Woman' line is adored by fashionistas across the region, and Mashael Alrajhi, the eponymous gender-inclusive label of a rarely-seen Saudi Sheikha.

Listed as an international fashion week alongside Paris and Milan, Arab Fashion Week offers exclusively see-now-buy-now collections and pre-collections.

Until this week, it had been hosted exclusively by Gulf fashion capital Dubai. But unlike Dubai, the Riyadh shows are not open to cameras, and attendees remain women-only.

The ultraconservative kingdom has witnessed rapid policy change since the June appointment of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, son of the king and heir to his throne.

As of this summer, women will be allowed to drive in the kingdom. The crown prince has also hinted that the abaya, the long loose robe worn by women from the neck down, may not be compulsory.