SAUDI ARABIA NUANCES

AND DIFFERENCES
 Religion & Beliefs

 Islam is practiced by all Saudis and governs their personal, political,

economic and legal lives.
 Among certain obligations for Muslims are to pray five times a day - at
dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening.
 The exact time is listed in the local newspaper each day and also on the
news on TV.
 Friday is the Muslim holy day. Everything is closed. Many companies also
close on Thursday, making the weekend Thursday and Friday.
 During the holy month of Ramadan all Muslims must fast from dawn to
dusk and are only permitted to work six hours per day.
 Fasting includes no eating, drinking, cigarette smoking, or gum chewing.
 Expatriates are not required to fast; however, they must not eat, drink,
smoke, or chew gum in public.
 Major Celebrations/Secular
Celebrations
 Eid ul-Fitr – marking the end of Ramadan. Changes date every year due to
Islamic lunar calendar. Can we between 10-14 days holiday.
 Eid ul-Adha – known in English as the ‘day of sacrifice’ this day marks the
end of the Hajj pilgrimage and also the day an animal is sacrificed in honour
of Abraham. Usually 3 days holiday although many people take the hajj
period off work.
 23rd September – Saudi national day
 Gender Roles

 Strict gender segregation is sanctioned by the state and society.

 Males and females are only ever seen together within a family setting or
context.
 Woman may work but this is usually within female only environments such
as schools, universities or certain government departments.
 The vast majority of Saudi women do not work.
 Legally men have more rights than do women. For example, women are not
allowed to drive, they cannot travel without the permission or presence of a
male guardian and are dependent on male members of the family (fathers,
brothers, husbands) to conduct almost all their business.
Socialization
 Socialization has changed dramatically in Saudi
Arabia within the last 40-50 years.
 Mothers used to give birth at home before raising the
child at home with the extended family or even a wet-
nurse. This instilled the culture, religion and language.
 Domestic servants or maids now are very much
responsible for raising children. As a result children
today grow up speaking English and learning the
morals and cultural cues from foreigners, usually
Filipinos, Sri Lankans, etc.
SOCIAL CUSTOMS AND
PROTOCOL
 Naming Conventions

 People’s names say a lot about their ancestry and where they are from. They are
treasured in Saudi Arabia with many people being able to recite the names of great
grandfathers back many generations.
 Everyone’s names follow a similar pattern: first name – son/daughter of father’s name
– son/daughter of grandfather’s name – family/tribal/dynastic name.
 For example, a man might have the name, Muhammad Ibn Abdullah ibn Abdullah Al-
Saud
 So, he is Muhammad the son of Abdullah who was the son of Abdullah from the Al-
Saud tribe.
 A woman will have the same structure but bint is used instead of ibn – so Maryam bint
Ali Al-Ahmadi, is Maryam the daughter of Ali from the tribe of Al-Ahmadi.
 Meeting & Greeting

 Men shake hands. Good friends may greet each other with a
handshake and a then kiss on each cheek, sometimes three.
 It is custom to hold the handshake for a lot longer than expected in
Western culture.
 Women generally hug and kiss close friends and within business will
general shake hands or place hands on hearts.
 Men and women would not greet each other in public if not from the
same family. This does not apply to foreigners.
 Communication style

 Saudi communication style is tempered by the need to save face, honor

and follow Sunnah, the example of the Prophet Muhammad.
 Being rude, causing offence or looking ungracious is worse than death in
Saudi culture so they will always want to save face, whether their own or
someone else’s.
 As a result, you will find a generally friendly, relaxed and indirect
communication style.
 Saudis tend to say ‘yes’ to everything and ‘no’ to very little especially when
dealing with foreigners. However, between themselves and those lower
down in hierarchy they can be very blunt.
 Personal Space

 Saudis feel comfortable standing close to one another when

together.Even within public, at the mosque, shopping, etc . people are
a lot more comfortable with being in close quarters.
 Between sexes the distance is however much greater with men
generally avoiding eye contact with women who are not related to
themselves.
 It also very common for men to walk holding hands. This has no sexual
connotations.
 Dining & Food

 If the meal is on the floor, sit cross-legged or kneel on one knee.

Keep your feet away from the cloth or plastic sheet.
 Eat only with the right hand as the left is considered unclean. Ask
for a fork if you want one.
 Try a bit of everything that is served.
 Wash hands before and after meals – all restaurants usually have
washing up areas.
 Taboos

 Don’t stare at women.

 Don’t point at people – keep your hand flat and gesture instead.
 Don’t wear tight clothing.
 Don’t say anything critical of the royal family, Islam or a person’s
family.
 Don’t show affection to the opposite sex in public.
 Don’t discuss sex in public.