About Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is a country of contrasts, embracing the modern world in the latest architecture, healthcare and economic development, but still respectful of its cultural and religious roots.
Basics
- Official Creation of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: September 23, 1932
- Location: In the Middle East, bordering the countries Jordan, Iraq, and Kuwait to the north, Yemen and Oman to the south, the United Arab Emirates to the southeast, and Bahrain and Qatar on the east. Saudi Arabia also borders on the Red Sea to the west and the Persian Gulf to the east. See our map of Saudi Arabia.
- Size: approximately 1.96 million square km (757,000 square miles), or about 1/3 the size of the US
- Capital City: Riyadh (for more information see our cities page)
- Population: approximately 24 million, of which an estimated 5.6 million are non-nationals
- Government Type: Monarchy (see our article on the Political System in Saudi Arabia)
- Language: Arabic, though English is widely spoken in medical, business, and social circles
- Currency: the Saudi Riyal, which is tied to the US dollar at a rate of US$1=3.75SR
- For more information, see: the CIA World Fact Book page on Saudi Arabia.
Religion
Summary
Islam is the only religion practiced in Saudi Arabia. While the govenrment still prohibits the public practice of any religion other than Islam, Prince Turki bin Muhammed bin Saud Al Kabir recently advised a UN Committee on Human Rights that non-Muslims were free to conduct their own religious observances in private.
The majority of Saudis are Sunni Muslims, and follow the tenets of Wahhabism. Wahhabism was founded during the 18th century by Ibn Abd Al-Wahhab. Wahhabism is based on a literal translation of the Koran. The religious leaders (the ulema) have strict rules for everyday living, including things such as strict segregation of the sexes, a prohibition on the sale and consumption of alcohol, a ban on women driving, etc. The rules are enforced by the "mutawa," the religious police. (There is also a civil police force, which handles normal police matters, e.g. traffic violations, robbery, etc.) The mutawa can be found wherever the public congregates to ensure that the laws of Islam are not violated, e.g. that unmarried men and women are not co-mingling, that women are properly covered, and that men are not in the streets during prayer call.
While Sunnis make up 80% of the Islamic world and are the majority in Saudi Arabia, there are Shi'ites in the eastern provinces of Saudi Arabia, which border on Kuwait and Iraq. Shi'ism is the official religion in Iran, and the majority faith in Iraq, Bahrain, and Lebanon.
Sunnis and Shi'ites have much in common. For example, both sects believe in the Five Pillars of Islam, which include:
- the profession of faith (shahada), which in English may be translated as: "There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is the Prophet of Allah";
- prayer (salah), which is to be conducted five times daily (at dawn, midday, mid-afternoon, sunset, and nightfall) and can last up to a half an hour; during prayer, shops and restaurants close;
- almsgiving (zakat);
- fasting (syam), which is to be performed by healthy adults, from dawn to dusk, during the holy month of Ramadan (some people are exempted, e.g., pregnant women);
- pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj), which must be done once by those who are fit enough, and financially able, to perform it.
The Prophet Mohammed
Mohammed was born in the year 571 CE, and he experienced his first revelation and began his role as a prophet in 610 CE. In 622 CE he had to flee from Mecca to Medina, and it is from this year that the Islamic calendar is calculated. The prophet Mohammed died in 630 CE.
The Islamic, or Hejira Calendar
Saudi Arabia follows the Islamic, or Hejira calendar, which is a lunar calendar, whereas the standard calendar used in the West (the Gregorian calendar), is based on one solar year. The Islamic calendar has 12 months, which are 29 or 30 days long, so the Islamic calendar year is 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar year which is 365 days (or 366 each leap year). The weekend is Thursday and Friday, with Friday being the holy day.
Women
For Westerners who come to Saudi Arabia, the most difficult concept to understand is the role of women in Saudi culture. Appreciating the religious context is important in understanding women's position in Saudi society.
While a Westerner sees that women are prevented from driving and socializing with men outside of their own family, most Saudi women take comfort in their role and in the respect they enjoy from their families – and, increasingly, in the workplace.
With the introduction of universal education, Saudi women now have equal access to education. Recognizing their ability to contribute to the economy and to their own households, women are now taking a more active role in the workplace as healthcare providers, academics and teachers, bankers (in women's banks), journalists, and entrepreneurs in businesses focussed on the female market. According to Saudi Arabia's employment profile by the Saudi American Bank (October 2002), between 4-5% of the Saudi workforce is now made up of Saudi women. And interestingly, according to a BBC report, women are the largest users of the internet in Saudi Arabia!
Employment
The economic boom that propelled Saudi Arabia to become one of the wealthiest countries in the world started in the early 1970s when oil prices rocketed. A completely new and modern infrastructure and support network was built in a period of less than 20 years.
In order to accommodate such unprecedented growth, Saudi Arabia relied on a global labor force to fill many positions, such as in healthcare, oil, telecommunications, etc. By the late 1980s, with many of the major infrastructure projects completed, the Saudi government started looking at areas where it could assume control and start the process of converting foreign-held jobs into locally-held ones. This process is known as "Saudiization." In 1988, one of the first steps was to assume control of the ownership of Saudi Aramco (Saudi Arabia's national oil company). Around the same time, management of hospitals and other social service functions was also "Saudiized." Saudiization is essential to deal with the employment needs of Saudi nationals.
Industry
The petroleum industry is, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future, the economic engine of the Saudi economy, but it is not a significant job generator. While oil makes up 40% of the GDP and 75% of revenues, it only contributes to 1.5% of all jobs.
There has been an opening up of the market to foreign investment. In 1980, Saudi Arabia had 730 industrial plants. Within a 20 year period, the number of plants has increased to over 4,800, many being joint ventures with foreign companies. In 2000, a new foreign investment law was introduced that allowed for lower corporate tax, foreign property ownership, and attractive incentives.
Steps are being taken to privatize telecommunications, electric power, airlines, railways, and to some degree the health sector. It is hoped that private ownership wil increase overall competitiveness. To enhance trade, Saudi Arabia is seeking access to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Compliance with WTO rulings require the opening up of the Saudi market to foreign investment and imports, and better protection for intellectural property rights. While it has yet to be ratified, it is expected to improve the market for Saudi goods and lower the cost of imports. In the short term, however, revenues will be reduced as tariffs are removed on imports.
Education
Education has has become a key tool in preparing the Saudi workforce for the jobs of the future. Government spending in education is second only to defense, and is more than double what is spent on healthcare. From 1980 to 1999, the number of students increased from 54,000 to 4.4 million, and adult literacy rates climbed from 33% in 1984 to 76% in 1999.
Arts & Literature
Traditional Arab art does not include representations of people or animals, since the Koran forbids making such representations. However, visual artistic expression can be found in architectural design, jewelry, textiles, and in decorations on utensils and weapons.
There are no national art galleries in Saudi Arabia, but in 1999, The National Museum opened in Riyadh. The museum, which chronicles Saudi and Islamic culture, is housed in a building with 10 galleries, a 100-seat theatre, and numerous elegant courtyards. There are also private galleries that focus on Islamic art.
Verbal eloquence has long been honored in the Arab world. Epic poems and stories of historical significance are passed down through families and taught in schools. Since Mohammed disapproved of the romantic poetry that was prevalent during his time, most literature and poetry is now based on facts rather than on more ethereal concepts and themes.
Instrumental music is fairly rare in Arab culture, with vocal music, in particular, chanting, being most common. However, as many Saudis are now educated abroad, there has been a new appreciation for different types of music.
Climate & Topography
Although Saudi Arabia is predominantly a desert kingdom, its climate varies considerably with location, season, and time of day. Riyadh, in the center of the country, experiences very hot, dry summers, and cool winters with little rain. (The average rainfall for Saudi Arabia is less than five inches annually). Jeddah on the west coast, and Dhahran on the east coast, are both very hot and humid in the summer, and though slightly cooler, still very humid in the winter. In both cities, midday temperatures in the summer range from 90-140F (32-57C) and in the winter are usually around 80F (27C). Night temperatures in the winter in both cities can drop as low as 40/50F (7/12C). A mountain range, running north/south in the western area of the country, rises to 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) in some places, provides cooler temperatures than down on the coastal plain.
Would you like information about working in Saudi Arabia?
See our Frequently Asked Questions page.
