Covering up

One thing I did not understand. How do muslim women put up with so much cloth covering their heads and bodies in 40 degree heat?

Now I get it. 

The moment I stepped into the convection of hot air at outside Abu Dhabi airport. I got it. 

I thought I knew what hot was. I mean. I am from the equator. One should wear as little as possible, sweat and let the breeze take heat out from the body. Well, not quite the environmental strategy that will work in a desert. 

My smart move of wearing short sleeves sizzled my arms, literally, and I got slightly dehydrated from the rapid moisture loss from my uncovered skin. So the next time I was out in the open, I wore a white (SRI* index of 100) long sleeved shirt and felt better immediately. It did not even feel that hot.  

So my conclusion is that people should cover up here in the middle east for physiological reasons - To protect the skin from the sun's rays, and retain moisture. Still, the black robes that muslim women here wear do seem uncomfortable given that black absorbs heat. So how come the guys get to wear white coloured robes? 

*Solar Reflectance Index