Saudis

{{Main|Culture of Saudi Arabia}}

The cultural setting of Saudi Arabia is Arab and Islam, and is often religious, conservative, traditional, and family oriented. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited, for example, however things are slowly changing now.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/20/saudi-arabias-first-cinema-in-over-35-years-opens-with-black-panther|title=Saudi Arabia's first cinema in over 35 years opens with Black Panther|website=TheGuardian.com|date=20 April 2018|access-date=19 February 2019|archive-date=17 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117200823/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/20/saudi-arabias-first-cinema-in-over-35-years-opens-with-black-panther|url-status=live}}

Daily life is dominated by Islamic observance and ruling. Regardless of whether the inhabitants of that city are non-Muslim, this is still observed. Although they are not required to fulfil religious rituals or obligations, clothing must meet a certain standard. Five times each day, Muslims are called to prayer from the minarets of mosques scattered throughout the country. Because Friday is the holiest day for Muslims, the weekend is Friday-Saturday."Weekend shift: A welcome change", SaudiGazette.com.sa, 24 June 2013 {{cite web |url=http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130624171030 |title=Weekend shift: A welcome change | Front Page | Saudi Gazette |access-date=2014-10-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029175552/http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130624171030 |archive-date=2014-10-29 }} In accordance with Salafi doctrine, only two religious holidays, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, were publicly recognized, until 2006 when a non-religious holiday, the 23 September national holiday (which commemorates the unification of the kingdom) was reintroduced.{{cite book|last=Lacey|first=Robert|title=Inside the Kingdom: Kings, Clerics, Modernists, Terrorists, and the Struggle for Saudi Arabia|url=https://archive.org/details/insidekingdomkin00lace_0|url-access=registration|date=2009|publisher=Viking |page=[https://archive.org/details/insidekingdomkin00lace_0/page/267 267] |isbn=978-0-670-02118-5|quote="... for decades the sheikhs successfully resisted attempts to add September 23 to the short list of official conges. But with the accession of Abdullah, the battlefield changed. If the king wanted a holiday, the king could grant it, and whatever the clerics might mutter, the people approved. Since 2006 A.D. the night of September 23 has become an occasion for national mayhem in Saudi Arabia, the streets blocked with green-flag-waving cars, many of them sprayed with green foam for the night.}}

File:Jeddah-1938.jpeg

File:Rijal_Almaa_at_Night_2019.jpg historical village in southern Saudi Arabia]]

{{Main|Ancient towns in Saudi Arabia}}

The original inhabitants of cities and villages are known as ({{langx|ar|حَضَر|ḥaḍar}}) sedentary people; they settled in villages, towns and cities across Saudi Arabia. Some of the famous cities of the past and some still remain were Al-Ahsa, Qaryat al-Faw, Dumat al-Jandal, Al-Ukhdud, Al-Ula, Diriyah, Ha'il, Jeddah, Manfouha, Mecca, Medina, Qatif, Madain Saleh, Tabuk, Taif, Tarout island, Tayma, and Thaj.

Most Saudis (whether they were historically sedentary or nomadic) trace their lineage to the different tribes of Arabia, and there are also many prominent Saudis of various origins including Caucasian, Bosniak (e.g. Deputy Minister at Ministry of Tourism; Mohammed Bushnag), Southeast Asian (Jawi) (e.g. former minister of Hajj and Umrah; Muhammad Benten), Turkish (e.g. Dr. Muhammad Khashoggi), Central Asian (Bukhari) (e.g. footballer; Amin Bukhari) and South Asian (e.g. footballer; Abdulbasit Hindi). They are mostly from the cities of Mecca, Medina and Jeddah in the Hejaz region.

{{Main|Afro-Saudis}}

Many Afro-Saudis belong to tribes that trace their heritage to the Hausa people and also to historical Tekrur and Ghana empire, this is evident in family names such as Hawsawi (e.g. footballer; Osama Hawsawi) , Fallatah, and Bernawi.{{cite news |last1=Obaid |first1=Ruba |date=1 March 2018 |title=Saudi Arabia's African roots traced to annual Hajj pilgrimage and British colonization |url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/1256666/saudi-arabia |access-date=27 March 2024 |language=en |agency=Arab News}} A number of members of the Afro-Saudi minority are descendants of former slaves, in particular descendants of the slaves who had been freed in 1962.{{cite web |title=Graveyard of Clerics: Everyday Activism in Saudi Arabia 9781503612471 |url=https://dokumen.pub/graveyard-of-clerics-everyday-activism-in-saudi-arabia-9781503612471.html}} Afro-Saudi activists complain that they are not given media representation and are unable to find opportunities to improve their social condition.{{cite web |title=Afro-Saudis |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro-Saudis#Social_condition}}{{Circular reference|date=August 2024}} Many suffer from racial discrimination in employment and education. Many Saudis view them as inferior.{{cite web |date=4 January 2024 |title=Middle East Racism |url=https://zora.medium.com/middle-east-racism-c19785585dc3}}{{cite web |title=Saudi Arabia: Treatment of racial minorities, particularly black African Saudi nationals, by society and authorities (2012-2013) |url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/563c58f34.html}}

File:T E Lawrence and the Arab Revolt 1916 - 1918 Q58752.jpg

{{Main|Bedouins}}

A portion of the original inhabitants of the area that is now Saudi were known as Bedouin (nomads) ({{langx|ar|بَدُو|badu}}). They remain a significant and very influential component of the indigenous Saudi population, though many who call themselves "badu" (nomad) no longer engage in "traditional tribal activities and settled."Long, Culture and Customs, 2009: p.79-80 According to authors Harvey Tripp and Peter North, Bedouin make up most of the judiciary, religious leaders and National Guard (which protects the throne) of the country. Bedouin (nomad) culture is "actively" preserved by the government. Nowadays most the bedouins have been urbanized are living in towns or cities but they still designate themselves as bedouins (nomads) and still speak bedouin dialects as opposed to the dialects of the sedentary tribes or urban centers.

Greetings in Saudi Arabia have been called "formal and proscribed" and lengthy. Saudis (specifically men) tend "to take their time and converse for a bit when meeting". Inquiries "about health and family" are customary, but never about a man's wife, as this "is considered disrespectful."{{cite web|last1=McLaughlin|first1=Elle|title=Saudi Arabia Culture & Protocol|url=http://traveltips.usatoday.com/saudi-arabia-culture-protocol-16306.html|website=USA Today|access-date=20 February 2015|archive-date=20 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220213147/http://traveltips.usatoday.com/saudi-arabia-culture-protocol-16306.html|url-status=live}}Tripp, Culture Shock, 2009: p.89{{Better source needed|reason=These are very outdated sources about an oddly specific thing. Perhaps this can be rewritten?|date=November 2023}}

{{Main|Abaya|Bisht (clothing)|thawb}}

The religion and customs of Saudi Arabia dictate not only conservative dress for men and women, but a uniformity of dress unique to most of West Asia.{{cite web|last=Sharp|first=Arthur G.|title=What's a Wahhabi?|url=http://www.netplaces.com/middle-east-guide/saudi-arabia-crossroads-of-islam/whats-a-wahhabi.htm|publisher=net places|access-date=20 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140321022500/http://www.netplaces.com/middle-east-guide/saudi-arabia-crossroads-of-islam/whats-a-wahhabi.htm|archive-date=21 March 2014}} Traditionally, the different regions of Saudi have had different dress, but since the re-establishment of Saudi rule these have been reserved for festive occasions, and "altered if not entirely displaced" by the dress of the homeland of their rulers (i.e. Najd).

Long, Culture and Customs, 2005: pp.57-9

In Saudi Arabia, women were required to cover in public.Sanders, Eli. [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/nation-world/infocus/mideast/islam/interpreting_veils.html Interpreting veils: Meanings have changed with politics, history.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091203003056/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/nation-world/infocus/mideast/islam/interpreting_veils.html |date=December 3, 2009 }} The Seattle Times. 27 May 2003. Web. 30 Oct. 2009. However, in March 2018, the Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman claimed that women could choose what to wear in public, provided it met certain standards, when he stated, "The decision is entirely left for women to decide what type of decent and respectful attire she chooses to wear".Kalin, S. [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-women-abaya-head-cover-crown-prince-mohammad-bin-salman-a8263446.html Saudi women should be able to choose whether to wear head cover or black abaya in public, says Crown Prince. Retrieved 19.03.2018]{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-women/saudi-women-should-have-choice-whether-to-wear-abaya-robe-crown-prince-idUSKBN1GV190|title=Saudi women should have choice whether to wear abaya robe: crown...|agency=Reuters Editorial|location=U.S.|access-date=2018-03-22|language=en-US}}

Until late 2019, all women were required to wear an abaya, a long cloak that covers all but the hands, hair, and face in public. Modest dress is compulsory for women in Islam, but the color black for women and white for men is apparently based on tradition not religious scripture.Tripp, Culture Shock, 2009: pp.92-4

Foreign women were required to wear an abaya, but did not need to cover their hair. Many Saudi women also normally wear a full face veil, such as a niqāb. Women's clothes are often decorated with tribal motifs, coins, sequins, metallic thread, and appliqués.

In recent years it is common to wear Western dress underneath the abaya. Foreign women in Saudi Arabia are "encouraged" by the religious police to wear an abaya, or at least cover their hair, according to the New York Times.{{cite news|last1=SHARKEY|first1=JOE|title=On a Visit to Saudi Arabia, Doing What the Saudis Do|work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/business/15road.html?_r=0|access-date=10 February 2015|agency=New York Times|date=March 14, 2011|quote=[U.S.] State Department guidelines note, for example, that the religious police can "pressure women to wear" the full-length black covering known as an abaya, "and to cover their heads."|archive-date=1 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150501122317/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/business/15road.html?_r=0|url-status=live}} Authors Harvey Tripp and Peter North encourage women to wear an abaya in "more conservative" areas of the kingdom, i.e. in the interior.Tripp, Culture Shock, 2003: p.108

File:Saudi in niqap.jpg in Riyadh.]]

Saudi men and boys, whatever their job or social status, wear the traditional dress called a thobe or thawb, which has been called the "Arabic dress".{{cite book|last1=Bradley|first1=John R.|title=Saudi Arabia Exposed: Inside a Kingdom in Crisis|date=2005|publisher=macmillan|page=5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HDWX2-0M5WcC&q=thobe++wahhabism&pg=PA5|access-date=20 August 2014|isbn=978-1-4039-7077-0}} During warm and hot weather, Saudi men and boys wear white thobes. During the cool weather, wool thobes in dark colors are not uncommon. At special times, men often wear a bisht or {{not a typo|mishlah}} over the thobe. These are long white, brown or black cloaks trimmed in gold. A man's headdress consists of three things: the {{not a typo|tagia}}, a small white cap that keeps the gutra from slipping off the head; the gutra itself, which is a large square of cloth; and the igal, a doubled black cord that holds the gutra in place. Not wearing an igal is considered a sign of piety. The gutra is usually made of cotton and traditionally is either all white or a red and white checked. The gutra is worn folded into a triangle and centred on the head.

• Ghutrah ({{langx|ar|غترة}} {{IPA|ar|ɣʊtra|pron}}) is a traditional keffiyeh headdress worn by men in the Arabian peninsula. It is made of a square of usually finer cotton cloth ("scarf"), folded and wrapped in various styles (usually a triangle) around the head. It is commonly worn in areas with an arid climate, to provide protection from direct sun exposure, and also protection of the mouth and eyes from blown dust and sand.
• Agal ({{langx|ar|عقال}} {{IPA|ar|ʕɪɡaːl|pron}}) is an item of Arab headgear constructed of cord which is fastened around the keffiyeh to hold it in place. The agal is usually black in colour.
• Abaya ({{langx|ar|عباية}} {{IPA|ar|ʕabaːja|pron}}) is a women's hijab worn by women when leaving the house. It is a black cloak that covers the entire body except for the head, although some abayas also cover the top of the head.
• Imama ({{langx|ar|عمامة}} {{IPA|ar|ʕɪmaːma|pron}}) is a type of the turban headdress native to the region of Hejaz in modern-day western Saudi Arabia; it is but one version of Arabian turbans that have been worn in the Arabian Peninsula from the pre-Islamic era to the present day, but in general nowadays most Hejazis wear Shumagh ({{langx|ar|شُماغ}} {{IPA|ar|ʃʊmaːɣ|pron}}) instead.
• Thawb ({{langx|ar|ثوب}} {{IPA|ar|θo̞ːb, t-|pron}}) is the standard Arabic word for garment. It is ankle length, woven from wool or cotton, usually with long sleeves similar to a robe.
• Bisht ({{langx|ar|بشت}} {{IPA|ar|bɪʃt|pron}}) is a traditional long, white, brown or black Arabic cloak trimmed in gold worn by men. It is usually only worn for prestige on special occasions such as weddings, or in chilly weather.

More recently, Western dress, particularly T-shirts and jeans have become quite common leisurewear, particularly in Jeddah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province.Long, Culture and Customs, 2005: pp.60-1

Traditional footwear is leather sandals but most footwear is now imported.

{{Main|Religion in Saudi Arabia}}

File:Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al -Wahab.png since 1999 A.D.]]

File:Al-Masjid al-NabawiZK.jpg

Islam is the state religion of Saudi Arabia and its law requires that all citizens be Muslims. The government does not legally protect the freedom of religion.{{cite web|title=International Religious Freedom Report 2004|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2004/35507.htm|publisher=US Department of State|access-date=22 September 2012|archive-date=1 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101123218/https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2004/35507.htm|url-status=live}} Any overseas national attempting to acquire Saudi nationality must convert to Islam.{{cite web |title=Saudi Arabian Citizenship System |url=https://www.moi.gov.sa/wps/wcm/connect/121c03004d4bb7c98e2cdfbed7ca8368/EN_saudi_nationality_system.pdf?MOD=AJPERES |website=Ministry of Interior |publisher=Kingdom of Saudi Arabia |access-date=31 May 2022 |archive-date=22 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922022045/https://www.moi.gov.sa/wps/wcm/connect/121c03004d4bb7c98e2cdfbed7ca8368/EN_saudi_nationality_system.pdf?MOD=AJPERES |url-status=live }} Saudi Arabia has been criticized for its implementation of Islamic law and its poor human rights record.[https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2013/country-chapters/saudi-arabia?page=2 Human Rights Watch, World Report 2013] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519034920/https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2013/country-chapters/saudi-arabia?page=2 |date=2017-05-19 }}. Saudi Arabia.] Freedom of Expression, Belief, and Assembly.[https://www.amnesty.org/en/region/saudi-arabia/report-2013#section-125-5 Amnesty International, Annual Report 2013, Saudi Arabia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150130063210/https://www.amnesty.org/en/region/saudi-arabia/report-2013#section-125-5 |date=2015-01-30 }}, Discrimination – Shi'a minority

{{Main|Islam in Saudi Arabia}}

The official form of Islam is the Wahhabi version of Sunni Islam. According to official statistics, 90% of Saudi citizens are Sunni Muslims, and 10% Shia. More than 30% of the population is made up of foreign workers{{cite web|title=The World Factbook|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/saudi-arabia/|work=2012|publisher=Central Intelligence Agency|access-date=22 April 2014|archive-date=19 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210319180722/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/saudi-arabia|url-status=live}} who are predominantly but not entirely Muslim. It is unknown how many Ahmadi there are in the country.{{cite web | url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/05/15/saudi-arabia-2-years-behind-bars-apostasy-accusation | title=Saudi Arabia: 2 Years Behind Bars on Apostasy Accusation | publisher=Human Rights Watch | date=May 15, 2014 | access-date=June 2, 2014 | archive-date=June 4, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604063944/http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/05/15/saudi-arabia-2-years-behind-bars-apostasy-accusation | url-status=live }} The two holiest cities of Islam, Mecca and Medina, are in Saudi Arabia. For many reasons, non-Muslims are not permitted to enter the holy cities although some Western non-Muslims have been able to enter, disguised as Muslims.(Sir Richard Burton in 1853) [https://books.google.com/books?id=rCh8EIv7b04C&dq=non-muslims+who+have++hajj+richard+burton&pg=PA64 The Highly Civilized Man: Richard Burton and the Victorian world]| By Dane KENNEDY, Dane Keith Kennedy| Harvard University Press|(Ludovico di Barthema in 1503) [https://books.google.com/books?id=6GsF8ciShhwC&dq=first+non-muslims+hajj&pg=PT7048 The Arabian Nights: The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night (1001 Nights ...)]{{Dead link|date=January 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} edited by Richard F. Burton

File:Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir - 2016 (29734397483) (cropped).jpg, Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Foreign Affairs.]]

The large number of foreign workers living in Saudi Arabia (7.5 million expatriates in 2013{{cite news|title=New plan to nab illegals revealed|url=http://www.arabnews.com/news/448234|newspaper=Arab News|date=16 April 2013|access-date=30 April 2013|archive-date=22 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622114447/http://www.arabnews.com/news/448234|url-status=live}}) includes non-Muslims. For Saudis, you cannot be a Saudi citizen without being Muslim.{{Cite web |title=Saudi Arabia |url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/saudi-arabia/ |access-date=2024-08-11 |website=United States Department of State |language=en-US}}

According to scholar Bernard Lewis, the Saudi policy of excluding non-Muslims from permanent residence in the country is a continuation of an old and widely accepted Muslim policy.{{Sfn|Lewis|1998|pp=14–19}} While Saudi Arabia does allow non-Muslims to live in Saudi Arabia to work or do business, they may not practice religion publicly. According to the government of the United Kingdom:

The public practice of any form of religion other than Islam is illegal; as is an intention to convert others. However, the Saudi authorities accept the private practice of religions other than Islam, and you can bring a Bible into the country as long as it is for your personal use. Importing larger quantities than this can carry severe penalties.{{cite web|title=Foreign travel advice. Saudi Arabia. Local laws and customs|url=https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/saudi-arabia/local-laws-and-customs|publisher=Gov.UK|access-date=23 March 2014|archive-date=14 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140614032838/https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/saudi-arabia/local-laws-and-customs|url-status=live}}

Saudi Arabia still gives citizenship to people from other countries.{{Cite web|url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/265893|title = Expatriates Can Apply for Citizenship from May 23|date = 24 April 2005}}

The first official population census of Saudi Arabia was in 1974. It had 6,218,361 Saudi nationals and 791,105 non-nationals for a total of 7,009,466. Of those, 5,147,056 people were settled and the number of nomads recorded were 1.86 million.{{cite web |title=The first census, 1974 |url=https://saudicensus.sa/en/content/first-census-1974 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200408031413/https://saudicensus.sa/en/content/first-census-1974 |archive-date=8 April 2020 |access-date=8 April 2020 |website=Saudicensus.sa}}

Until the 1960s, much of the population was nomadic or seminomadic; due to rapid economic and urban growth, more than 95% of the population now is settled. 80% of Saudis live in three major urban centers—Riyadh, Jeddah, or Dammam.{{cite book |author=House, Karen Elliott |title=On Saudi Arabia: Its People, past, Religion, Fault Lines and Future |title-link=On Saudi Arabia |publisher=Knopf |year=2012 |page=69}} Some cities and oases have densities of more than {{convert|1,000|/km2|/mi2|disp=preunit|people |people|sp=us}}. Despite the rapid growth in Saudi Arabia over the past decades, it is experiencing a rapid decline not only in mortality, followed by fertility rates, which fell from about seven children on average per woman in the last century to 2.4 in 2016, based on the latest population survey conducted by the General Authority for Statistics.{{Cite web |title=General Authority for Statistics |url=https://www.stats.gov.sa/en/node |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190810091603/https://www.stats.gov.sa/en/node |archive-date=2019-08-10 |access-date=2019-08-24}}

Saudi Arabia has lagged far behind in increasing its population compared to its neighbors, such as Iraq and Syria.

According to the 2022 census, Saudi nationals represented approximately 18,800,000 making up 58.4% of the total population of Saudi Arabia.^{[https://portal.saudicensus.sa/portal]}

{{Further|Genetic studies on Arabs}}

DNA tests of Y chromosomes from representative sample of Saudis were analyzed for composition and frequencies of haplogroups, a plurality (71.02%) belong to Haplogroup J1-M267. Other frequent haplogroups divided between Haplogroup J2-M172 (2.68%), A (0.83%), B (1.67%), E1b1a (1.50%), E1b1b (11.05%), G (1.34%), H (0.33%), L (1.00%), Q (1.34%), R1a (2.34%), R1b (0.83%), T (2.51%), P (1.50%).{{cite journal|title=Extensive geographical and social structure in the paternal lineages of Saudi Arabia revealed by analysis of 27 Y-STRs|author1=Yahya M. Khubrani|author2=Jon H. Wetton|author3=Mark A. Jobling|year=2017|journal=Forensic Science International: Genetics|volume=33|doi=10.1016/j.fsigen.2017.11.015|pmid=29220824|pages=98–105|hdl=2381/40816|url=https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/10207244 |hdl-access=free}}

{{Portal|Saudi Arabia}}

{{Commons category|People of Saudi Arabia}}

• Arabs
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{{cite journal |last=Lewis |first=Bernard |date=November–December 1998 |title=License to Kill: Usama bin Ladin's Declaration of Jihad |url=http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/54594/bernard-lewis/license-to-kill-usama-bin-ladins-declaration-of-jihad |url-status=live |journal=Foreign Affairs |volume=77 |issue=6 |pages=14–19 |doi=10.2307/20049126 |jstor=20049126 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150428061916/http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/54594/bernard-lewis/license-to-kill-usama-bin-ladins-declaration-of-jihad |archive-date=28 April 2015 |access-date=17 March 2014|url-access=subscription }}

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Category:Arab people

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Category:Society of Saudi Arabia

Category:Culture of Saudi Arabia