Saudi Arabia is located on the Arabian Peninsula and is a theocratic monarchy that follows Sharia law and the five pillars of Islam. It was historically a poor desert country until the 1930s discovery of oil, which brought immense wealth but also the challenge of modernizing while preserving traditional Islamic cultural values. The country remains highly segregated by gender with women requiring male guardians, but wealth has increased western influences and consumerism alongside strict religious rules enforced by the religious police.

1. Saudi
arabia

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

3. Saudi Arabia’s flag

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

6. 1. Shahada (Faith)
The recitation of the creed, “There is no
god but God and Muhammad is the
messenger of God."

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

8. 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.

9. 4. Sawm (fasting)
Ritual fasting is an obligatory act during
the month of Ramadan.

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

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

12. 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

14. Oil
PetrOleum
Black GOld
texas tea

15. 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.

16. What cOuntries have the mOst
Oil? (darkest=mOst)

17. WhO imPOrts Oil? WhO exPOrts
Oil?

18. What are these political
cartoons trying to say?

19. How does this arid region go
from…
This to
This?

20. And This!?!
Indoor ski slope

21. Desalination plants

22. New wealth, same
traditions…
Saudi Arabia has struggled to keep their culture while modernizing
and advancing at the same time.

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

24. 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

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

26. Even schools are segregated.

27. Girls’ schools

28. Boys’ school

29. So, if boys and girls are always
kept separate, how do they date?
They don’t.
Marriages
are arranged
by families.

30. 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.

31. 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!

32. 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

33. Religious Police?!?!?!
Who are they?

34. 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…

35. So, how Westernized is Saudi Arabia?
Check it out for yourself!

36. Coca-Cola
In Arabic

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

39. 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!
Check out
those
stilettos!

40. Saudi
bathing
suit

41. But with the oil money, comes
better education too.

42. 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.

43. 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.

44. 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.

45. 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.

46. Saudi Arabia got rich FAST, so it’s still
trying to blend the old and the new.
Keep the traditional
culture
And modernize
as well