CULTURAL PROFILE OF

SAUDI ARABIA
NAME-MORBIWALA
BATUL QUTBUDDIN
ROLL NO- 40
DIV-A
CLASS-SYBMM
TEACHER-PROF.RASHIDA
MA'AM
 An introduction to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is a fascinating country. It has so many relatively unique features,
vast land area, small population, geographical and geological variety, extreme
climatic conditions, strong Islamic traditions and, of course, oil. As for the
economy, Saudi Arabia has so many differences from the typical developing
economy that it deserves special attention. In the 1970s oil revenues gave it a
financial surplus and an ability to create, in a short space of time, a large capital
stock of buildings, roads, machinery, plant and equipment. Far from solving
development problems this placed unusual pressures upon other factor
endowments; in particular it created a manpower problem as well as straining the
physical ability of the country to absorb increased spending. In the past decade this
has led to inflation. The downturn in oil revenues in recent years has created yet
further problems to solve in the development process. The dependence upon oil,
the determination to industrialise and to diversify, the need for a skilled labour
force and physical infrastructure all combined with the geographical, social and
demographic features of the country, make economic progress more than simply a
question of spending money. This book offers an introduction to how Saudi Arabia
has faced these new challenges, has overcome problems and is now attempting to
achieve in decades what most economies take centuries to accomplish

Saudi Arabia is a kingdom in SW Asia, occupying most of

the Arabian peninsula between the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea: founded in 1932
by Ibn Saud, who united Hejaz and Nejd; consists mostly of desert plateau;
large reserves of petroleum and natural gas. Official language: Arabic. Official
religion: (Sunni) Muslim. Currency: riyal. Capital: Riyadh. Pop: 32 938 213 (2017
est). Area: 2 260 353 sq km (872 722 sq miles)

The cultural setting of Saudi Arabia is greatly influenced by the Arab and Islamic
culture. The society is in general deeply religious, conservative, traditional, and
family-oriented. Many attitudes and traditions are centuries-old, derived from the
Arab civilization and Islamic heritage. However, its culture has also been affected
by rapid change, as the country was transformed from an impoverished nomadic
society into a rich commodity producer in just a few years in the 1970s. This
change has also been affected by a number of factors including the
communications revolution and external scholarships. The most recent ruler or
king of Saudi is King Salman of Saudi Arabia

HISTORY OF SAUDI ARABIA

Saudi Arabia traces its roots back to the earliest civilizations of the Arabian
Peninsula. Over the centuries, the peninsula has played an important role in history
as an ancient trade center and as the birthplace of Islam, one of the world’s major
monotheistic religions.Since King Abdulaziz Al-Saud established the modern
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932, its transformation has been astonishing.In a few
short decades, the Kingdom has turned itself from a desert nation to a modern,
sophisticated state and a major player on the international stage.

Early History
The first concrete evidence of human presence in the Arabian Peninsula dates back
15,000 to 20,000 years. Bands of hunter-gatherers roamed the land, living off wild
animals and plants.As the European ice cap melted during the last Ice Age, some
15,000 years ago, the climate in the peninsula became dry. Vast plains once
covered with lush grasslands gave way to scrubland and deserts, and wild animals
vanished. River systems also disappeared, leaving in their wake the dry river beds
(wadis) that are found in the peninsula today.

This climate change forced humans to move into the lush mountain valleys and
oases. No longer able to survive as hunter-gatherers, they had to develop another
means of survival. As a result, agriculture developed – first in Mesopotamia, then
the Nile River Valley, and eventually spreading across the Middle East .The
development of agriculture brought other advances. Pottery allowed farmers to
store food. Animals, including goats, cattle, sheep, horses and camels, were
domesticated, and people abandoned hunting altogether. These advances made
intensive farming possible. In turn, settlements became more permanent, leading to
the foundations of what we call civilization – language, writing, political systems,
art and architecture.

The Birth of Islam

Around the year 610, Muhammad, a native of the thriving commercial center of
Makkah, received a message from God (in Arabic, Allah) through the Angel
Gabriel. As more revelations bid him to proclaim the oneness of God universally,
the Prophet Muhammad’s following grew.In 622, learning of an assassination plot
against him, the Prophet led his followers to the town of Yathrib, which was later
named Madinat Al-Nabi (City of the Prophet) and now known simply as Madinah.
This was the Hijrah, or migration, which marks the beginning of the Islamic
calendar.Within the next few years, several battles took place between the
followers of the Prophet Muhammad and the pagans of Makkah. By 628, when
Madinah was entirely in the hands of the
Muslims, the Prophet had unified the tribes
so successfully that he and his followers
reentered Makkah without bloodshed.
The Modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The young Abdulaziz was determined to regain his patrimony from the Al-Rashid
family, which had taken over Riyadh and established a governor and garrison
there. In 1902, Abdulaziz, – accompanied by only 40 followers – staged a daring
night march into Riyadh to retake the city garrison, known as the Masmak Fortress.
This legendary event marks the beginning of the formation of the modern Saudi
state.After establishing Riyadh as his headquarters, Abdulaziz captured all of the
Hijaz, including Makkah and Madinah, in 1924 to 1925. In the process, he united
warring tribes into one nation.On September 23, 1932, the country was named the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, an Islamic state with Arabic as its national language and
the Holy Qur’an as its constitution.

King Salman (2015 - )Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin
Abdulaziz acceded to the throne after the death of King Abdullah on January 23,
2015.King Salman Salman was designated Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia, and appointed Deputy Prime Minister, by Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz on June 18, 2012, upon the death of Crown
Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz. Crown Prince Salman also served as Minister of
Defense.Since 1956, Prince Salman has chaired various humanitarian and service
committees that provide relief from natural and man-made disasters. For his
humanitarian services, he has been awarded many medals and decorations,
including awards from Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Morocco,
Palestine, the Philippines, Senegal, the United Nations, Yemen, and the King
Abdulaziz Medal - First Class.He is a recipient of several honorary degrees and
academic awards, including an honorary doctorate from the Islamic University of
Madinah, the Prince Salman academic award, and the Kant Medal by the Berlin-
Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities in appreciation of his
contributions to the field of science.During official visits to the United States in
April 2012, King Salman met with President Barack Obama and a number of U.S.
officials.

The Wahhābī movement

Origins and early expansion
As the population of the oasis towns of central Arabia such as ʿUyaynah slowly grew
from the 16th to the early 18th century, the ʿulamāʾ (religious scholars) residing there
increased in number and sophistication. Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb, the founder
of the Wahhābī movement, was born in ʿUyaynah in 1703 to a family of religious
judges and scholars and as a young man traveled widely in other regions of
the Middle East. It was upon his return to ʿUyaynah that he first began to preach his
revolutionary ideas of conservative religious reformation based on a strict moral code.
His teaching was influenced by that of the 14th-century Ḥanbalī scholar Ibn
Taymiyyah, who called for the purification of Islam through the expulsion of practices
that he saw as innovations, including speculative theology, Sufism, and such popular
religious practices as saint worship.
The ruler of ʿUyaynah, ʿUthmān ibn Muʿammar, gladly welcomed the returning
prodigal and even adhered to his doctrines. But many opposed him, and ʿAbd al-
Wahhāb’s preaching was put to a number of severe tests. The chief of the Al-
Hasa region, who was of the influential Banū Khālid tribe, threatened to withhold
gifts to ʿUthmān, or even to go to war with him, unless ʿAbd al-Wahhāb was put to
death.
ʿUthmān, unable to face this danger but unwilling to kill his guest, decided to dismiss
ʿAbd al-Wahhāb from his territory. ʿAbd al-Wahhāb went to Al-Dirʿiyyah, some 40
miles (65 km) away, which had been the seat of the local prince Muḥammad
ibn Saʿūd since 1726. In 1745 people flocked to the teaching of the reformer. The
alliance of theologian and prince, duly sealed by mutual oaths of loyalty, soon began
to prosper in terms of military success and expansion.
One by one, the enemies of the new union were conquered. The earliest wars
brought ʿUyaynah and portions of Al-Hasa under Wahhābī control, but the oasis
town of Riyadh maintained a stubborn resistance for 27 years
before succumbing to the steady pressure of the new movement. By 1765, when
Muḥammad ibn Saʿūd died, only a few parts of central and eastern Arabia had
fallen under more or less effective Wahhābī rule.
Muḥammad ibn Saʿūd’s son and successor, ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz I (reigned 1765–1803),
who had been largely responsible for this extension of his father’s realm through
his exploits as commander in chief of the Wahhābī forces, continued to work in
complete harmony with Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb. It was the latter who
virtually controlled the civil administration of the country, while ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz
himself, later in cooperation with his warlike son, Saʿūd I (1803–14), busied
himself with the expansion of his empire far beyond the limits inherited by him.
Meanwhile, in 1792, Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb died at the age of 89.
Wahhābī attacks on settled areas had begun to attract the attention of officials of
the Ottoman Empire, the dominant political force in the region. In 1798 an
Ottoman force invaded Al-Hasa, though it later was compelled to
withdraw. Qatar fell to the Saʿūdīs in 1797, and they also gained control through
local allies over Bahrain and parts of Oman

Geography
State Borders
Saudi Arabia occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula, with the Red Sea and the
Gulf of Aqaba to the west, the Persian Gulf to the east, and Yemen to the south.
The total length of its land boundaries is 4,431
kilometres: Jordan 744, Iraq 814, Kuwait 222, Qatar 60, the United Arab
Emirates 457, Oman 676, and Yemen 1,458. The island of Bahrain in the Persian
Gulf is connected to the Saudi mainland by a causeway.
Over the past decades, Saudi Arabia has signed treaties with most of its
neighbouring countries, but some disputes over the country’s borders continue –
for instance, with the United Arab Emirates over the bordering Shayba oilfield and
with Iran over al-Arabiya Island in the Persian Gulf.

Recently the Saudi government claimed two islands, Tiran and Sanafir, from
the Egyptian government. The two islands are located in the Red Sea, across
from the Jordanian port of Aqaba. The administration of the islands had been
handed over to Egypt by the Saudi King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for
defence purposes, but Israel took possession of the islands during the 1967
June War. In 1982, Israeli forces withdrew from the islands, and they were
left under the administration of Egypt and the Multinational Force of
Observers (MFO).

Geography and Climate

Saudi Arabia contains the world’s largest continuous sand desert, al-Rub al-Khali
(the Empty Quarter). Saudi Arabia has four other major regions. The largest is the
Najd, a central plateau, which rises from about 600 metres in the east to about
1,500 metres in the west. The capital, Riyadh, is located in the Najd. The Hijaz
stretches along the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aqaba south to Asir and is the
location of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Asir, extending south to
the Yemen border, includes a fertile coastal plain. Inland mountains in the Asir
region rise to more than 2,700 metres. The Eastern Province extends along the
Persian Gulf and is the primary oil-producing region of the country. The oasis
region of al-Ahsa occupies much of the Eastern Province.Saudi Arabia’s climate
is generally hot and dry, although nights are cool, and frosts occur in winter.
The humidity along the coasts is high. The inland areas of Najd, al-Qassim
Province, and the deserts share a uniform climate. The temperature during the
summer is high, reaching well over 45 °C, with generally cold nights. Extreme
temperatures well below 0 °C are frequent in winter. The daily maximum
temperature is mild during the short spring and autumn seasons, averaging
about 29 °C.The coastlines of Saudi Arabia along the Red Sea and Persian
Gulf maintain a relatively constant maximum temperature (about 38 °C)
throughout the year. Sandstorms driven by northwesterly winds persist for
about three months each year, usually during late spring and early summer, on
the eastern coast.The southern region of Asir and the lower Hijaz regions are
elevated, reaching up to 3,000 metres above sea level. The climate is cooler,
with temperatures rarely rising above 35 °C. During the Indian Ocean
monsoon season, in the autumn and spring, there is excessive rainfall. This
region receives an average of 300 millimetres of rain during this season, or
approximately 60 percent of total annual precipitation.In the other Saudi
Arabian regions, rainfall is sparse and infrequent. The annual average
precipitation rarely exceeds 100 millimetres, which is insufficient to maintain
crops or livestock. Between 1901 and 2009, the monthly rainfall ranged
between a low 1.2 millimetres in September to a high of 16.2 millimetres in
April.Throughout the ages, the harsh climate largely prevented settlement on
the Arabian Peninsula, except in a few major cities and oases. The average
monthly temperatures observed in Saudi Arabia over the last century ranged
between a low of 15.5 °C from December to February to 30 °C from May to
September.

CLIMATE-

There are three climatic zones in the kingdom: (1) desert almost everywhere, (2)
steppe along the western highlands, forming a strip less than 100 miles (160 km)
wide in the north but becoming almost 300 miles (480 km)
wide at the latitude of Mecca, and (3) a small area of humid
and mild temperature conditions, with long summers, in the highlands just north
of Yemen.

In winter, cyclonic weather systems generally skirt north of the Arabian Peninsula,
moving eastward from the Mediterranean Sea, though sometimes they reach
eastern and central Arabia and the Persian Gulf. Some weather systems move
southward along the Red Sea trough and provide winter precipitation as far south
as Mecca and sometimes as far as Yemen. In March and April, some precipitation,
normally torrential, falls. In summer, the highlands of Asir (ʿAsīr), southeast of
Mecca, receive enough precipitation from the monsoonal winds to support a
steppelike strip of land.
Winters, from December to February, are cool, and frost and snow may occur in
the southern highlands. Average temperatures for the coolest months, December
through February, are 74 °F (23 °C) at Jiddah, 58 °F (14 °C) at Riyadh, and 63 °F
(17 °C) at Al-Dammām. Summers, from June to August, are hot, with daytime
temperatures in the shade exceeding 100 °F (38 °C) in almost all of the country.
Temperatures in the desert frequently rise as high as 130 °F (55 °C) in the summer.
Humidity is low, except along the coasts, where it can be high and very oppressive.
The level of precipitation is also low throughout the country, amounting to about
2.5 inches (65 mm) at Jiddah, a little more than 3 inches (75 mm) at Riyadh, and 3
inches at Al-Dammām. These figures, however, represent mean annual
precipitation, and large variations are normal. In the highlands of Asir, more than
19 inches (480 mm) a year may be received, falling mostly between May and
October when the summer monsoon winds prevail. In the Rubʿ al-Khali, a decade
may pass with no precipitation at all.

PEOPLE
Ethnic groups

Although the country’s tribes are often considered

“pure” Arabs—certainly they are the descendants of the
peninsula’s original ethnic stock—a certain degree of ethnic
heterogeneity is evident among both the sedentary and
nomadic populations of Saudi Arabia. Variations have
developed because of a long history of regionalism and tribal autonomy and
because some localities have been subjected to important outside influences.
Thus, the proximity of sub-Saharan Africa along the Red Sea littoral and the
constant historical influx of peoples from Iran, Pakistan, and India along
the Persian Gulf coast have left traces of the physical types characteristic of
those peoples among the native population. Likewise, the hajj to Mecca has
long brought hundreds of thousands of people annually from various ethnic
groups to the country. About half of all pilgrims travel from Arab countries
and half from African and Asian countries. A small number of such visitors
have settled in and around the holy cities throughout the years, either out of
religious devotion or because penury prevented their return home.
Since the 1960s, an increasing number of outsiders have entered and left Saudi
Arabia. By the early 21st century, the estimated number of foreign workers was
between one-fourth and one-fifth of the country’s total population, despite efforts
by the Saudi authorities to encourage citizens to occupy positions typically held by
foreigners. At first, most expatriated workers were Arab, such as
Yemenis, Egyptians, Palestinians, Syrians, and Iraqis. Increasing
numbers of non-Arab Muslims such as Pakistanis have been
employed, as have large numbers of non-Muslim Koreans and
Filipinos, who have been hired under group contracts for specified
periods. Most specialized technical workers are Europeans and
Americans

INDIA AND SAUDI ARABIA

Issue
Context
 Mohammed bin Salman’s recent visit to India was seen as a watershed moment in
boosting defense and security cooperation.

 Apart from these two broad themes, it appeared that India and Saudi Arabia are
trying to move beyond energy relationships.

About
 Saudi Arabia has long been an important Indian trade partner.

The Kingdom remains a vital source of energy for India, which imports almost a
fifth of its crude oil requirement from Saudi Arabia.
Background
 For years, the Saudi Arabia-India relationship had always been shadowed by the
Kingdom’s close ties with Pakistan.

 That has changed, while Riyadh retains strong ties to Islamabad, there is no longer
an “either-or” element, and the Kingdom has demonstrated geopolitical
diversification in its relations with South Asia.

 The rise of jihadist extremism, the gradual decline of American power, and the rise
of China have brought about transformational changes in India’s engagements with
the Gulf region.

 India’s Prime Minister has demonstrated an increased willingness to cooperate

with Saudi Arabia on a variety of security issues such as joint military exercises,
intelligence sharing, counterterrorism, anti-money laundering, and terror financing.

 On the face of it, much of the deliberations have been shrouded over “terror talks”:
The historic visit of King Abdullah to India in 2006 had laid solid ground for the
India-Saudi relationship.

 The “Delhi Declaration,” signed between the two countries during his visit,
stressed that terrorism was a scourge that “the governments would closely and
actively cooperate” to fight against.
 The “Riyadh Declaration” signed in 2010 during then Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh’s visit to Saudi Arabia emphasized cooperation on information exchange on
terrorism.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-349-08827-0_1

 https://www.saudiembassy.net/culture-art

 https https://www.britannica.com/place/Saudi-Arabia/The-Kingdom-of-Saudi-Arabia

 https https://www.britannica.com/place/Saudi-Arabia/Climate

 https://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/places/asia/arabian-peninsula/saudi-arabia/people