CULTURE OF SAUDI ARABIA: TRADITIONS, CUSTOMS, GASTRONOMY - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The culture of Saudi Arabia was formed around Islam, its fundamental religion, as well as stories drawn from descriptive Arabic literature, which helped preserve the image of female modesty, of the man as protector of the home, and respect for the family..

It is a country of multiple contrasts, in which tradition and modernity merge and traditional customs refuse to disappear, despite the need to open up to the world, as they have never done before throughout its history.

Pilgrimage to Mecca. Tahir mq

Source: Wikimeda Commons

Its official name is Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and it is located on the Arabian peninsula, in western Asia. Its capital is the city of Riyadh and its system of government is that of absolute monarchy, whose leaders are governed by the holy book of the Koran to enforce the moral precepts of Islam.

The most powerful house after the formation of the kingdom was called Saud and from there the country was taken, accompanied by the term that refers to the Arabic language. The current modern monarchy dates from 1932, after King Abdelaziz bin Saud (1875-1953) undertook a series of conquests that allowed the kingdom to unify.

In 1938 oil was discovered and, since then, the export of crude oil has become its main source of income and the origin of a growing modernity that can be observed in service areas, communication routes and architecture.

Custom

Clothing

Saudi Arabia is made up of a very conservative society. Men usually wear long woolen robes called thawub, in addition to a scarf or ghutra that they place on their head.

The women also wear long robes, usually black, known as abayas, in addition to a veil called a nicab that covers their head, with the exception of their eyes.

When greeting

Public displays of affection between men and women are prohibited. However, there are certain freedoms when it comes to the same sex.

For example, men are very cordial and close to each other, they can go from handshaking to hugging and, if they are very confident, they tend to kiss both cheeks.

For their part, the women greet each other with a handshake to immediately proceed with a kiss on both cheeks.

It is a society that highly values ​​hierarchies, if a man is before a person of high dignity, he will kiss the shoulder of this important figure. It is also customary to kiss old people on the forehead.

Saudis only use the right hand when greeting, never the left, even if they are left-handed.

Saudi women. Source: arabia.watch

Society and religion

Alcohol and pork is prohibited out of respect for the rules of the Koran, the holy book of Islam, which establishes it.

Business conversations with Saudis tend to be long, as they are people who prefer to linger over the meeting and not get to the point right away.

They treat their guests with great attention, ensuring at all times that they have everything they want and need.

Shopping and commercial activity cease during the call to the seven daily prayers, whose hours vary, so the Saudis must inform themselves through the Internet or the local press to make the forecasts.

Cinema is prohibited, although some screenings are currently allowed, as long as they comply with Islamic standards.

Saudi women at the «Short Film Competition 2» film festival, held in Riyadh.

Source: france24.com

Traditions

Pilgrimage to Mecca

The Hach or Hajj, is the pilgrimage that Muslims from all over the world make annually to the holy city of Mecca, a religious activity considered one of the pillars of Islam.

According to the scriptures, every Muslim must make this pilgrimage at least once in his life. It is considered such an important spiritual achievement that the people who participate in the ritual are highly respected by their communities.

The pilgrimage brings together millions of Muslims in front of the so-called Sacred Mosque, where the Kaaba is prayed, a large cubic figure covered with black silk that, according to religion, contains the remains of the Black Stone, from Adam's Paradise. and Eva.

As part of the pilgrimage, some Muslims include a visit to the city of Medina, where the mortal remains of the Prophet Muhammad (570-632 AD), founder of Islam, are buried.

Eid al-Fitr

It means "charity banquet" and is a religious activity similar to Christmas for people of Christian belief. The relationships are not due to their origin, but due to the characteristics of the rite, since children receive gifts, special dishes are consumed and people wear new clothes.

Eid al-Adha

Known as the "celebration of sacrifice" it occurs exactly twenty days after Eid al-Fitr. This activity is carried out to commemorate the act of the patriarch Abraham, who was willing to sacrifice his own son to demonstrate his faith in God.

Janadriyah Festival

It is an event that is responsible for exposing the best of Saudi culture for two weeks, through the sale of crafts, folk dances, book fairs and even a camel race that occurs during the opening of the festival.

The event dates back to 1985 and since then it has become a tradition that welcomes more than a million people each year.

Its significance is even international in nature, since the kingdom invites a country each year as a guest of honor. Egypt, India, the United Arab Emirates, and even European countries such as France and Germany have participated in this festival of Saudi culture.

Saudi Arabia National Day

It is celebrated from September 23 to commemorate the change of name of the kingdom of Neyed and Hijaz, to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, after the unification carried out by Abdelaziz bin Saud.

On that day, activities are held throughout the kingdom to enhance Saudi culture, presenting typical dances and cultural expressions to promote pride in the country and remember the achievements of the monarch who established the guidelines for Saudi Arabia to develop before the eyes of the world.

The Saudi marriage

It is important to understand that Saudi law prohibits the rapprochement between men and women as singles. Usually, the bride's family will find her a suitor among her family and friends.

After meeting, the couple will have a series of encounters that will take place without physical contact and always in the presence of a family member to monitor the meeting.

Contrary to unions in the West, a Saudi woman can only marry a Muslim man, while a Muslim man can marry up to four women, who may not belong to the same religion.

The male tutor

In Saudi Arabia, every adult woman must live under the supervision of a male guardian or mahram, either her father being single or another relative. In the case of married women, this role falls on the husband.

This male guardian is the one who will grant the necessary permits so that the woman can have a bank account, process the application for a passport, travel and even study.

Gastronomy

The gastronomy of Saudi Arabia has characteristics of Mediterranean and Indian food, the latter can be evidenced by the recurrent use of spices such as cumin, cinnamon or coriander.

The meat that is most consumed is lamb and the drinks are restricted to fruit juices and water, because Islam prohibits the consumption of liquor.

Curiously, there is a drink called Saudi champagne, but this does not violate the law, since it is made up of apple juice, orange slices, apple, lemon, mint leaves and carbonated water.

Saudis often opt for purees and soups, in addition to salads that combine vegetables and fruits, if possible accompanied by dates, an ingredient widely used in different ways in Saudi cuisine.

Here are some of the typical dishes of Saudi Arabia

Shikamba

This is a creamy lamb meatball soup.

Kofta

It is a fusion of minced meat, spinach, rice, spices, tomato sauce and onion.

Halva

It is a sweet dough filled with dates and dried apricots, as well as chopped walnuts or almonds.

falafel

They are croquettes made with chickpeas and beans. It is one of the most recognized typical dishes of Saudi Arabia in the world.

Falafel. Source: Elias Bröms / Wikimedia Commons

Khubz

This is a traditional flat-shaped bread that is served as an accompaniment to main meals.

Kabsa

It is a rice with chicken seasoned with several typical spices from Saudi Arabia, which offer it a particular and exotic flavor very different from its western equivalent.

Kleeja

It is a cookie made from wheat flour, butter and cardamom.

Mohalabeya of Kamar el Din

This is a very popular dessert made with egg, orange, and milk.

Kebab

It is a very recognized dish of Saudi cuisine, made with lamb, onion and egg.

Saudi champagne. Source: betterbutter.in

Dance in Saudi Arabia

In the culture of Saudi Arabia there are more than fifty manifestations of dance, which vary according to the area of ​​the kingdom. Three of them are listed below:

The dance of swords

This dance, traditionally known as Ardah, is considered the national dance and consists of two lines of men who carry swords and dance to the rhythm of drums and poetic songs.

This dance was declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO in 2015 and is commonly used at weddings and folk events.

Samri

It is a typical dance that also involves sung poetry and the accompaniment of drums. In this case, two lines of men perform the act on their knees, moving to the beat of the music.

Khaligee or Khaliji

This dance performed by women, uses very delicate movements of the feet, hands, shoulders and head with pronounced use to express the movement of the hair. That is why it has earned the popular name of the "hair dance."

The dress worn by the dancer is not very revealing, it consists of a long, wide and embroidered tunic that is worn over the typical clothing of belly dance.

Saudi Arabia in detail: data

- Its most populated city is the capital, Riyadh.

- Jeda is the second most important city. As a curious fact, it was the capital of the kingdom until 1982.

- Saudi Arabia has museums that preserve its history, one of the most famous is the National Museum, based in Riyadh.

- 80% of the workforce in Saudi Arabia comes from foreigners, who work especially in areas such as oil exploitation and services.

- 95% of the surface of the kingdom is desert. Only 1.45% of Saudi Arabia corresponds to land suitable for cultivation.

Saudis talk in the shadow of their camels

Source: pexels.com

- The kingdom has national parks and reserves that allow the care and awareness of the wildlife of Saudi Arabia.

- Saudis are fond of horse and camel racing, although gambling is prohibited.

- Other popular sports in Saudi Arabia are soccer, which has a considerable legion of fans. Other emblematic sports are diving and falconry.

- There is a great distance between one city and another, but this is not a big problem, since Saudi Arabia has a modern and effective transport network.

Riyadh Metro

Source: louisberger.com

Its skyscrapers

The economic well-being, product of the oil rent, has allowed a country as traditional and historical as Saudi Arabia to be a benchmark of modern architecture.

They have impressive skyscrapers that compete with each other in splendor and height and most of them are located in Riyadh. The most impressive are the Kingdom Center at 302 meters high, the Burj Rafal Bait at 308 meters and the Capital Markel Authority Headquarters at 385 meters.

However, the Saudi Arabian record is held by the Abraj Al Bait towers, located in the center of Mecca, whose maximum height reaches an impressive 601 meters, making this structure the third tallest in the world, just below the Burj Califa in Dubai and the Shanghai Tower in China.

Abraj Al Bait Towers, the tallest in Saudi Arabia

Source: Fadi El Benni of Al Jazeera. / Wikimedia Commons

Opening to the world

Saudi Arabia has four places that are World Heritage of UNESCO, which are part of its culture and its way of seeing the world; and that could soon be available to visitors from other regions of the world.

In October 2019, the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia announced that for the first time it would grant visas for tourists from 49 countries of the world. This strategy arises as part of its interest in reducing dependence on oil and exploiting the country as a tourist destination.

They assure that they will make the dress codes for women more flexible, although they will ask tourists, both men and women, to dress discreetly. The prohibition of consuming alcohol is maintained, as well as the entrance to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina to people who are not Muslims.

References

1. Saudi Arabia. (2019). Taken from ecured.cu
2. Frank Gardner. Tourism in Saudi Arabia. (2019). Taken from bbc.com
3. Cuisine of Saudi Arabia. (2019). Taken from ecured.cu
4. The four most typical dishes of Saudi Arabia. (2019). Taken from viaturi.com
5. Daily life in the destination country. Taken from fundeamal.org
6. Music and dance in Saudi Arabia. (2019). Taken from fanack.com