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Exploring Culture Essay

Exploring Culture Essay: A Deep Look at the culture of Eastern Province in the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia
Ebraheem Sami Mofti
University of Kentucky

Exploring Culture Essay

Abstract

The East coast of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, or the Eastern province as it is called in Saudi
Arabia, shares a lot of values and cultural aspects with most parts of the Arabian world because
of its history and the common religion. However, the Eastern province has a lot of specialties
and differences from the other parts of the Arabian world and Saudi Arabia. The West, where I
am from, is totally different than the East. The most significant differences, which will be
explored in this essay, are values, communication, weddings, dresses, time orientation, special
occasions, power distance, food, meaning of the family, people around, collectivity, jobs and
education, masculinity, privacy and disclosure. All of the points will be discussed and some of
them will be compared with my culture in the west coast of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Exploring Culture Essay

A Deep Look at the culture of Eastern Province in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

In 2012 I had to move from my home town, Yanbu, which is in the west coast of the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to, Al-Khobar, which is in eastern coast of Saudi Arabia, to study in one
of the universities over there. However, I did not think that I would be in a different place. AlKhobar is in the same country, and it was not that far from my region. When I arrived, I
recognized how different it is. I learned that cultures might be diverse even if they were in the
same country because of some factors, such as the history of that place. Day by day, I started to
recognize more and more differences. Some of them were easy to be recognized, others were
difficult. These differences taught me that I can become a better person even within my own
culture. We need to learn what is good from the other cultures and apply it in our personalities;
also, avoid what might be bad or objects our own values. There are too many specialties and
characteristics about the eastern culture of Saudi Arabia.

One of the first specialties that is recognizable easily about the culture in the eastern
province in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is peoples clothes. Unlike in other parts of Saudi
Arabia. Mohammad, who is from the Easten Province says men wear a white dress called
Thoob. They also wear a red peace of headwear called Shemagh, over which they wear
Agal, which is a black cord, worn as an accessory for men in the east province of the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia. Even though people think that Thoob, Shemagh, and Agal are worn by all the
people in the Arabian countries, that is not true. Each region has its own dresses for men. For
example, in Al-Hijaz, which is the western region of Saudi Arabia, men wear different-looking
Thoob, and over the the Thoob we wear vests. Also, we wear Omama instead of Shemagh.

Exploring Culture Essay

On the other hand, womens dresses there are different than in any part of the world. In

Islam, which is the common religion in the Saudi east coast, women have to wear Hijab when
they want to meet a foreign man. Hijab is different than what women wear over there. Hijab is
the scarf, which covers the head of a woman. It can be in any color or style. However, in the east
women do not just wear the Hijab, they wear a full dress called Abaya (M. Al-Qhatani, personal
communication, 9/26/2014) Abaya is a black dress that covers all parts of the body, but it keeps
the eyes, hands, and feet uncovered. Some of the Abayas cover the face while some do not, but
most women in the east cover their faces when they wear their Abayas. Arabian men are known
for their jealousy about their wives, and that is why they try to keep them safe as much as they
can. Women there do not always wear Abayas as most people think; they only wear it if they are
going to meet foreign men. Thus, in their houses or when there is only women in the house they
wear normal clothes. Moreover, women their have their own special dress. Women were a dress
with long sleeves called Galabya. it is usually colorful, and has a lot of designs (M. Al-Qhatani,
personal communication, 9/26/2014) .

Another difference in this culture is the family concept in the eastern province. Unlike my
region where the family is the father, mother, sons, daughters, grandfather, and grandmother,
family might means one of three things for the eastern people of Saudi Arabia: either the
immediate family, extended family or the tribe. First, the immediate family, which contains the

Exploring Culture Essay

father, mother, sons, and daughters. It is the most important one, and it comes before anything
else. Then, the extended family comes. The extended family contains the grandfathers,
grandmothers, uncles, aunts, and cousins. The extended family is also very important. Mr. Bogari
who lived his whole life in the Eastern Province says If you come from the east you would
always have to keep in touch with them, invite them to invite them to all your occasions, and to
help them. Finally, people in the east come from different tribes and they always have to be loyal
to them. Tribess are so important. People in east province of Saudi Arabia carry their tribes
names as their last names. This specialty is also found in most of the Arabian countries, but not in
west coast of Saudi Arabia. People there might judge you from your tribe, so people give it a big
value over there. All the tribe members are so important, but they are neither important as the
immediate nor as important as the extended family. People of the same tribe might share a dinner
or lunch once a year or more.

Another thing that I have observed there was difference in the nonverbal communication
style. First, it is not appropriate to look directly at someoness eyes, even if you are having a
direct conversation with that person. Looking directly at someones eyes in the Eastern
Province is considered as a sign of a disagreement or a problem. They also have a lot of
restrictions about touching someone else, especially when men touch women. Men usually
shake hands, which demonstrate respect and welcoming in their meeting like everywhere else;
however, if a man knows someone, and he has not seen him for a long time they kiss each
others cheeks. Because of the Islamic rules, men can not touch foreign women. Thus, men
shake and kiss each others hands, and women do the same; but men and women can not do

Exploring Culture Essay

that unless they are from the same family. Moreover, in the eastern side, the personal space is
not like the western side. In the West, people keep a wide range between each other; in the East,
the personal space is only few inches.

Furthermore, most of the people in Saudi Arabia share almost the same traditions, but
still eastern people are different than any one else. Eid Al-Feter, Eid Al-Adha, and Ramadan are
the common celebrations in all the Muslim countries. In the east these celebrations are devoted
for families. In Eid Al-feter, for example, each small family makes lunch or dinner for the big
family in all the days of Eid Al-feter. Also, neighbors get together after they pray the Eid prayer
in the Mosque talking and congregating to each other.

Values are another difference between the East and West in Saudi Arabia. People of the
East consider the family before anything else as mentioned previously. Most of the family
gathers weekly to see each other and to keep in touch; in addition, it is a sign that the family is
unified. It is part of the collectivity they have. Also, they consider them selves as good
communicators. Relationships are measured by the amount of communication, so if you want
to keep up a good relationship with anyone, you need to talk or message that person a lot.
These value can create big conflicts because it is fine elsewhere to keep the relationship
without communicating that much. For example, my friends from the East always complain
about the lack of communication I have with them; however, I think the amount of
communication is more than needed. Another value in the East is generosity, which is
considered the most important especially with people you do not have an old relationship with.

Exploring Culture Essay

As much you give to your guest as much you appreciate the other person, and that is the reason
why sometimes people do things that should not have been done like when they make dinner
in someones honor they make a lot of food to show appreciation. Because generosity is an
important value, people try to show as much as they can. For example, in a small dinner you
will find some people fighting for who will pay for the food, so each one can show his/her
generosity.

The Arabic language is spoken in 21 countries as the first language and more countries
speak it as a second language, and, like any other language, the dialects usually differ
according to the geographic variation. All of these countries do not speck the formal Arabic. In
Saudi Arabia, dialects are different in each region of the country. Each side has its own accent;
the East is known for its accent, which is more likely close to the Bahraini accent. People in
East take the word and make it longer by stretching the vowel letters. Also, they use different
expressions and idioms. Some times it is so hard to be understood, like when someone wants
to say it is so easy they say drinking water which roughly means piece of cake. The
eastern accents very hard to follow especially for people who come from foreign countries
except the gulf states countries because their accent is almost the same.

Food is a major difference in the East rather than the West. People in the eastern part eat
rice with either camel meat, goat meat, chicken, or fish. They are very fond of the Kabsa, which
is goat meet or chicken over rice, which usually cooked with: cumin, cloves and some other
ingredients. They are also known for another dish called Mftah, which is almost like Kabsa

Exploring Culture Essay

but they use different ingredients from the ones in Kabsa. In the West all of the main dishes are
brought from other cultures because the region was taken over by some states from different
parts of the world. Moreover, people in the Wast eat international food from different places of
the world, American for example, but not in banquets. In addition to that, the eastern region of
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is located on the coast, and, like people anywhere else who live
close to the coast, they eat a lot of fish.

One of the specialties about the East, which can also be considered as problem for
people from different parts of the world, is time. Time in the east is not specific. That means
people do not have uniformed time concept. Things like weddings cards can indicate that the
wedding is going to start at 8 p.m.; however, people usually show up at 10:30 p.m., and
likewise for a lot of occasions. That is the case for all the friendly meetings and with normal
people, but classes, appointments, working time are different: 7 p.m. means 7 p.m.. They use
the term American Time to show that we should meet at the assigned time. Moreover, people
can use different terms to show the time. These terms use the sun or one of the five prayers
times. Someone there might ask to meet with you after the sunset prayer or in the noon, which
does not indicate 12 p.m. as in the United States, but indicates after the noon prayer.

The social life in the East does not only mean friends and colleagues, but it goes
beyond that. People of the East consider neighbors to be a part of their lives. Neighbors have
some rights upon each other. They have to respect them and make them comfortable as much
as they can. People in the East usually gather in the Mosque to have conversations with each

Exploring Culture Essay

other, so if someone needs help he or she will be helped. Over there, neighbors are very
important that some people might consider them more impotent than the extended family. In
this way, people from the East are very collectivistic. They consider themselves as one part,
which can not be separated, of the society. The idea they have that a person is not independent.
Anyone is responsible for people around him/her; all people around you are responsible for
you. It is very rare to see someone makes a decision without taking some references from
different people. People like the idea of collectivity because of its advantages, and try to keep
away the disadvantages of the collectivity. Some young boys now do not have any self-reliant,
and they can not do anything by themselves. Thus, people are trying to make balance between
what they used to do and what they should do now.

Masculinity and femininity has a different approach in the East than the approach in the
West. In the East the man is the one who is responsible for everything; he is the decision
maker. Men and women know exactly what they have to do, which makes the society more
organized. The man is the responsible for providing the houses needs, like money, food or
whatever the family needs. On the other hand, women are responsible for raising the children
and taking care of them. That means women do not have to work, but they can if they want.
Unlike what most people think women in Saudi Arabia are allowed to work unless there is a
need for them to stay in the house. If a woman does not work, her father or husband is in
charge to provide her needs. The masculinity and femininity meanings there are not associated
with who has the power, yet they mean whom is in charge of each kind of duties. Unlike the
West, where women mostly are the responsible for everything and they usually make the final

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Exploring Culture Essay

say.

Moreover, power distance is a big part of the culture. In the East, the father, Chieftain,
and the king of Saudi are the important people, and they are always followed. The chieftain is
a selected man from the tribe who is responsible for all the tribes members. In the Saudi
system, if you need anything you can ask the king to provide it for you; however, in the east,
people ask their chieftain then he/she goes to ask the king in behalf of the one who is in need.
Also, if there are votes in the area he is the one who is responsible to collect all the votes and
then give it to the government. Parents also have a very high power upon their sons and
daughters. In the east you should always follow you parents orders unless it is not good for
them or you. The reason why parents have this high power upon their children is the religion
which asks people to always be close to their parents all the time.

In conclusion, all of these traditions and customs might be interpreted incorrectly

because people who came from different backgrounds do not understand why they do things
this way. People of the Eastern Province are well educated people, and they are always open for
the change toward the best for them or for the society, but they also like to keep their traditions.
Life in the east is so special because of the combination of their traditions and the
globalization. Although my experience there was not very long, but it had thought me a lot
about them, and how great they live.

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Exploring Culture Essay

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