Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is the largest country located on the Arabian Peninsula.

Saudi Arabia’s flag

Five Pillars of IslamSaudi Arabia is a Theocracy. Their country is run by religion. It is very important for Saudis to follow the Five Pillars of Islam.

1. Shahada (Faith)

The recitation of the creed, “There is no god but God and Muhammad is the messenger of God."

2. Salat (Prayer) Salat is the daily prayer of Islam. Salat consists of five prayers daily.

3. Zakat (alms-giving) Zakat is the practice of charitable giving by

Muslims based on accumulated wealth, and is obligatory for all who are able to do so.

4. Sawm (fasting)

Ritual fasting is an obligatory act during the month of Ramadan.

5. Hajj (pilgrimage)The Hajj is a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca.

Prior to the discovery of oil in the 1930s, Saudi Arabia was nothing more than a poor desert country.

The discovery of oil brought about a new lifestyle to Saudi Arabia. They acquired new wealth, better education, better technology, and new friends around the world.

Saudi oil refinery

OilPetroleumBlack GoldTexas Tea

What is oil?

The oil that we use today was formed

millions of years ago when tiny plants and

animals died and sank to the bottom of a

shallow body of water.

What Countries have the most oil? (darkest=most)

Who imports Oil? Who Exports Oil?

What are these political cartoons trying to say?

How does this arid region go from…

This to This?

And This!?!

Indoor ski slope

Desalination plants

New wealth, same traditions…

Saudi Arabia has struggled to keep their culture while modernizing and advancing at the same time.

There is a lot of westernization with a twist. Look closely at the signs!

You’ll find two sections in restaurants: The family section, and

the single male section. Why is there no single woman section?

Single male section

Because… Women can’t be in public without a male relative escort. Men and women are kept very separated in Saudi Arabia.

Even schools are segregated.

Girls’ schools

Boys’ school

So, if boys and girls are always kept separate, how do they date?

They don’t. Marriages are arranged by families.

What about travelers? Do they have to follow all the same rules?

Well… You can’t just visit Saudi Arabia. You must have permission from the King and good reason. But just like someone visiting our country, they’d have to follow our laws while here.

During prayer time…

Be prepared to wait around for a while, because everything shuts down for 20 to 30 minutes five times a day for prayer. Mosques are everywhere, so you will always hear the muzzein standing atop the mosque call everyone to prayer five times a day no matter where you are. Foreigners are not forced to pray, but outward practice of any other religion is strictly forbidden!

If you do visit Saudi Arabia:Western women don’t have to wear the abaya or the hijab, but if you’re stopped by the religious police and asked to, YOU BETTER JUST DO IT!

Abaya (Burka)

Hijab

Religious Police?!?!?!Who are they?

One way to keep the culture is the Mutaween (religious police). There are regular police to keep the law, and religious police to watch that people are following Saudi’s idea of Sharia (religious law). Strict punishments are enforced if not…

So, how Westernized is Saudi Arabia?

Check it out for yourself!

Coca-ColaIn Arabic

Saudi Barbie Notice what Barbie is wearing under her abaya! With all that oil money, Saudi women are decked out under their abayas!

Check out those

stilettos!

Diamonds, gold, designer clothes… You name it, they’ve got it on! When Saudi women are alone, the can’t wait to take off their abayas and show off their fashion!

Saudi bathing

suit

But with the oil money, comes better education too.

Aramco

Many Americans live in Saudi Arabia who work for the oil company Aramco. However, they live in private compounds, where behind those gates, they can live their American lifestyles.

Their schools are coed just like in the U.S. and they can dress just as they please. However, once they leave the compound, all Saudi laws apply.

What if you want to visit Mecca?You’ll only get in if you’re a Muslim. How do they know? Before entering the gates of Mecca you will be asked to recite a random Sura from the Qu’ran. Muslims who go as far as to make the Hajj, will be able to do it.

Many Muslim children who don’t speak a word of Arabic, are taught to memorize the entire Qur’an in Arabic. It doesn’t translate well in English, and is actually meant to be sung, not read.

Saudi Arabia got rich FAST, so it’s still trying to blend the old and the new.

And modernize as well

Keep the traditional culture