Assalam-u-Alaikumعليكم السالم

Kingdom of Saudi Arabiaالسعودية العربية المملكة

Al-Mamlakah al-Arabiyah

as-Sa'ūdiyah

Capital Riyadh

Religion Islam

Official Language Arabic

Government Absolute monarchy

Establishment 23september 1932

Area   2,150,000 km2

(830,000 sq m)

Population 2014 estimate

30,770,375 approx.

Currency  Saudi riyal (SR) (SAR)

Literacy 86.6%

National flag

Emblem

Saudi Arabia is located in the Middle East and is bordered by many countries including Yemen, Oman, U.A.E., Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, and Jordan.

La Illaha Illallah Mohammadun Rasuloolah Aliyun Waliyulah

Allah is our Almighty Lord Mohammad is His Prophet

Ali is His messenger(follower)

Geography The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest Arab

country of the Middle East Saudi Arabia occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula,

with the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba to the west and the Persian Gulf to the east.

Neighboring countries are Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the Sultanate of Oman, Yemen, and Bahrain.

Saudi Arabia contains the world's largest continuous sand desert, the Rub Al-Khali, or Empty Quarter.

 Its oil region lies primarily in the eastern province along the Persian Gulf.

The Land of the Two Holy Mosques in reference to Mecca and Medina, the two holy places in Islam. The two mosques are Masjid al-Haram (in Mecca) and Masjid Al-Nabawi (in Medina).

Saudi Arabia has the world's largest oil reserves and is the world's largest oil exporter. Oil accounts for more than 90% of exports and nearly 75% of government revenue

Political

Monarchy Ruled by sons and grandsons of the first king, Abdul

Aziz Al Saud

Quran is declared as constitution of the country Governed on basis

of Sharia(Islamic Law)

Council of Ministers appointed by King, Consists of a prime

minister

The prime minister and twenty ministers. Advises on general policy

formulation and directing bureaucracy

Elections No recognized political parties or national elections (only

local elections)

سعود آل العزيز عبد بن سلمانSalman bin Abdul aziz Al Saud

Legal system

The primary source of law is the Islamic Sharia. Capital and physical punishments are imposed by

Saudi courts. Lashings are a common form of punishment.

Homosexual rights are not recognized. Families of someone unlawfully killed can choose

between demanding the death penalty or granting clemency in return for a payment of diyya, or blood money.

Economy of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia has an oil-based economy with strong

government control over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia possesses 18% of the world's proven

petroleum reserves, ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and played a leading role in OPEC for many years.

One of the few fast growing countries with a high per capita income of $53,780 (2014)

Saudi oil refinery

Education

• In Saudi Arabia primary education through to high school is open to everybody and is free.

• Gross enrollment for boys is 99%, but only 96.3% for girls.• Three years of intermediate general academic education follows. The

percentage of girls is 47% of total students, and the overall gross enrollment rate 95.9%.

• This time in secondary schools, students have a choice between continuing general education, and switching to specialized secondary education at technical secondary institutes.

• 3 year vocational education and training programs are available in the fields of agriculture, commerce and industry. Overall, the gross enrollment rate drops to 91%.

*boys and girls have the different schools.

Girls school

Boys school

Technology Saudi Arabia is one of the Arab countries at the forefront of

this modernization. It is a country that currently has 12% of its total government budget dedicated to upgrading its higher education system, arguably the highest level of funding in the world.

 The kingdom is now working towards being a center of research excellence.

 One by-product of this goal is the development of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), an independent scientific organization that is essentially the country’s national science agency.

The institution has already forged over twenty academic partnerships with leading universities such as Imperial College London, the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford.

Almost 4% of global research papers now come from the Middle East, a figure that has almost doubled since the beginning of the new millennium.

Saudi Arabia itself is responsible for almost 90% of this research. It is this country-wide emphasis on research that engenders a perfect learning environment for graduates across the academic field, making Saudi Arabia an ideal choice for students of science and technology.

Culture

The cultural setting of Saudi Arabia  is Arab and Islam and is deeply religious, conservative, traditional, and family oriented.

Many attitudes and traditions are centuries-old, derived from Arab civilization. 

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

1. Shahada (Faith).2. Salat (Prayer).3. Zakat (Alms giving).4. Sawm (Fasting).5. Hajj (Pilgrimage).

Shahada (Faith): The recitation of the creed, “La Illaha Illallah Mohammadun Rasuloolah Aliyun Waliyulah ”

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

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.

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

Hajj (pilgrimage): The Hajj is a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca and Medina.

Mecca (Masjid al-Ḥarām) الحرام المسجد

Mecca (Makkah in Arabic) is the center of the Islamic world and the birthplace of both the Prophet Muhammad and Ali the religion he founded.

The Masjid al-Ḥarām, also called the Sacred Mosque, and the Grand Mosque or Great Mosque of Mecca, is the largest mosque in the world and surrounds Islam's holiest place, the Kaaba, in the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia

The Kaaba or Ka'aba, is a cuboid building at the center of Islam's most sacred mosque, Al-Masjid al-Haram, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is the most sacred site in Islam.

The Well of Zamzam is a well located within the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, 20 m east of the Kaaba, the holiest place in Islam.

Masjid al-Ḥarām

kaaba

Medina (Al-Masjid an-Nabawi) المسجدالنبوي Medina means the "City of the Prophet," is in the Hejaz

region of western Saudi Arabia. Medina is the second holy city of Islam, after Mecca. Its

importance as a religious site derives from the presence there of the Masjid al Nabawi, the Mosque of the Prophet.

Which was built on the site of Muhammad's home and is where he is buried.

Al-Masjid an-Nabawi

Attire

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 the Middle East.

Saudi women also normally wear a full face veil, such as a niqab.

Women's clothes are often decorated with tribal motifs, coins, sequins, metallic thread, and appliques.

Foreign women are not required to wear an abaya, but must cover their hair.

Abaya (Burka) Hijab

Saudi men and boys, whatever their job or social status, wear the traditional dress called a thobe or thawb, which has been called the “Wahhabi national dress”.

Among young men, since around 2000, Western dress, particularly T-shirts and jeans have become quite common leisure wear, particularly in the Eastern Province.

Traditionally, men usually wear an ankle length garment woven from wool or cotton, with a keffiyeh or a ghutra worn on the head.

Cuisine The common food items in Saudi Arabian cuisine

include wheat, rice, lamb, chicken, yogurt, potatoes and dates.

 Shawarma and Falafel are two common dishes which are originally Levantine and Egyptian dishes respectively.

These two dishes are examples about the influence of foreign residents in Saudi's food.

 Yogurt is normally made into a drink called Laban. The most common types of food and beverages are,

Kabsa, Mtaziz, Motabbaq, Masoob, Mandi, Arikah, Assidah, Haneedh,kleeja, and many other local dishes.

Falafel balls

Shawarma

kleeja

kabsa Mutabbaq

AlBaik is a chain of fast food restaurants in Saudi Arabia that primarily sells roasted chicken and shrimp with a variety of sauce.

Rush at albaik during ramadan

Albaik chicken meal

Currency

Saudi Arabian currency is Saudi Riyal

INR=16.9017 SAR

MEDIA & ADVERTIZING

Arabic is the fastest growing language on microblogging site TWITTER, with a 2000 % increase in Arabic postings logged over the past 12 months.

Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s Kingdom Holding Company (KHC)announced a $300 million investment In social media site, Twitter.

Television in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia dominated by just five major companies: Dubai

TV, Middle East Broadcasting Center, Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation, Rotana and Saudi TV.

Though private television stations cannot operate from Saudi soil, the country is a major market for pan-Arab satellite and pay-TV.

Saudi investors are behind the major networks MBC based in Dubai, and Emirates based OSN

Al Jazeera network is one of the largest pay-TV players in terms of subscriptions, with a market share of 59%

Magazine in Saudi

Saudi Arabian Barbie's

FAMILY

Saudis are cognizant (aware) of their heritage, their clan, and their extended family, as well as their nuclear family. 

Saudis take their responsibilities to their family quite seriously.

Families tend to be large and the extended family is quite close.

The individual derives a social network and assistance in times of need from the family.

Women's rights in Saudi Arabia Women's rights in Saudi Arabia are limited in comparison to

many of its neighbors. All women, regardless of age, are required to have a male

guardian.  Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that prohibits

women from driving. Saudi women constitute 13% of the country's native workforce

as of 2015. Women were previously forbidden from voting or being elected

to political office, but in 2011 king Abdullah declared that women would be able to vote and run in the 2015 local election.

Saudi girls are banned from playing sports in schools and are denied access to sports facilities, including gyms and swimming pools. 

Taboos

The left hand is considered unclean and reserved for hygiene.

Do not point at another person and do not eat with the left hand.

Men walking hand in hand is a sign a friendship. The "thumbs up" gesture is offensive. Saudi Arabia takes witchcraft so seriously that the

country has banned the harry potter books.

Avoid admiring an item too much, your host may feel obligated to give it to you. When offered a gift, it is impolite to refuse.

Try not to cross your legs when sitting. Never show the bottom of your feet.

Flowers do not make good gifts from a man, although a woman could give them to her hostess. 

If you are invited to a Saudi's house bring something small as a thank you gift . Gifts are not opened when received

Fact Alcoholic beverages are prohibited. The weekend are on Thursday and Friday. Almost all restaurants have a separate entrance and

eating area for families, and another entrance and eating area for men who are unaccompanied by women. 

All shops and business establishments must necessarily be closed during times of prayer (5 times a day).

Propagation and public practice of any other religion is strictly prohibited.

Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the world without a river.

King Fahd International Airport in Damman, Saudi Arabia it takes up some 780 square kilometres - an area larger than many cities.

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.

The Rub’ al Khali, or the Empty Quarter, is one of the driest places on earth.

This desert, which is 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) long and 500 kilometers (310 miles) wide, occupies a large portion of Saudi Arabia.

A voluntary $100 million donation to the UN’s counter-terrorism center last year was a show of generosity from Riyadh,

(But what the Saudis give with one hand, they seem to take away with the other.)Saudi Arabia is said to be the world's largest source of funds for Salafi jihadist terrorist militant groups, such as al-Qaeda, the Afghan Taliban, and Lashkar-e-Taliban in South Asia.

Fifteen of the 19 accused hijackers of the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., on September 11, 2001, came from Saudi Arabia.

شكرا

Thank you