Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Oct 02, 2025

Masks and manners: your essential etiquette tips for a polite and polished pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has changed how we interact, and etiquette has never been more important. An etiquette expert shares her tips for making the right impression now we can’t shake hands, smile at each other, or invite someone for dinner or tea

Social life in a post-pandemic world, as many have discovered, is dramatically different from life as we knew it. This also means that the way we interact with each other has also changed.

“This pandemic has created a lot of ambiguity about how we should behave in general, but especially in terms of physical contact,” says etiquette consultant Astrie Sunindar-Ratner. “Many of the social etiquette norms that ordinarily enable us to create pleasant and rewarding relationships have been taken away pretty much overnight – we can’t shake hands or smile at each other, or invite someone over for dinner or out to tea.”

Singapore-based Sunindar-Ratner, an entrepreneur and style maven who is often featured in magazines for her feminine sartorial sense, is an international youth and social etiquette consultant, certified by The International Etiquette and Protocol Academy in London.

She says: “Because of the limitations of this new reality, good etiquette is needed now more than ever, and it takes a little more effort, as it requires us to emphasise behaviours we haven’t necessarily habituated to.” She shares some guidelines to new norms of personal style and etiquette to follow in this brave new world.


What are some new norms of etiquette in daily interactions with loved ones and work contacts?

Be 100 per cent present on virtual calls, as nothing says you care less than being distracted on a call. Change greetings and signoffs in emails and text messages to be a bit deeper. Writing “hope all is well” can come off a bit out of touch. Instead, acknowledge the circumstances by saying something akin to, “During these difficult times I hope you and your family are staying safe and healthy”.

It has also become a norm to send small gifts to friends and loved ones’ homes just to show you are thinking about them and not for a specific occasion.


With most people wearing masks that cover half the face, how can we still convey good manners in person?

Polite greetings are needed more than ever because, unfortunately, this is the little interaction we now have with others. Greet people with a small wave and nod – it is worth noting that even when wearing a mask, it is still important to smile when you meet people because your eyes and your voice will convey that genuine warmth to others.

When interacting with people in real life, especially those working in stores, make eye contact, ask how they are doing and say “please” and “thank you” to show you acknowledge the stress they might be under.


From elbow or ankle taps to “namaste” hands, we’ve seen many suggestions on how to adapt our greetings. What would you recommend?

To me, there is no one correct way. Etiquette varies from country to country. However, I find a little wave and a nod or slight bow and a short greeting like good morning or good afternoon is always respectful.

In what situations might it be still acceptable to exchange hugs? It is a hard one, for in some cultures hugging and kissing is their way of showing love. Personally I think this should be reserved for meeting close family in a home setting, like for children and grandparents for example. But ultimately, I always say use your judgment.


How should we react to someone coughing, sneezing or not observing social distancing in public, particularly when our first instinct may be to run away in horror?

Although our first instinct might be to run away or to tell them off, it is not our place. As long as the person is wearing a mask there is not much we can do, apart from walking away or keeping a distance from them. However, if the person is not, you can let them know kindly but firmly to please wear their masks or to keep distance.

If someone, for example, is standing too close to me (coughing or not), I may say, politely but firmly, “Excuse me, do you mind stepping back please”. Avoid saying “sorry”, which is often used interchangeably with “excuse me” but shouldn’t be because it is actually an apology. Also, use “please” and say “thank you” when they comply. There is no need to be haughty about it, and never use a hand gesture to motion someone to back off.

If they still don’t move, alert someone who works in the location to intervene and leave it at that, knowing that you have done the right thing.


Is it frivolous in these times to be concerned about fashion and beauty?

The way you present yourself is one of the key components of etiquette, and looking put together is just as important now as it ever was, possibly even more. If you look good, you will feel good about yourself, and that is important when so many people are feeling down, given all that’s going on in the world.

Even if you are not leaving the house, getting out of your PJs or home clothes every now and then is re-energising and can put you in a more productive mindset.

Given the importance of eye contact, this is a great time to invest in pretty eye make-up palettes. Another invaluable consideration during this time is skincare. Wearing masks causes excessive sweat and moisture to build up around the cheeks, leading to breakouts, irritation and damaged skin. I have found that cleansing my face immediately after removing the mask for the day really helps.




Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
Top AI Researchers Are Heading Back to China as U.S. Struggles to Keep Pace
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Trump and Starmer Clash Over UK Recognition of Palestinian State Amid State Visit
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Did the Houthis disrupt the internet in the Middle East? Submarine cables cut in the Red Sea
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
×