Textiles and Dress

Culture of Saudi Arabia

The cultural setting of Saudi Arabia is greatly influenced by the Arab and Islamic culture. The society is, in general, religious, conservative, traditional, and family-oriented. Many attitudes and traditions are 300 years old by 2027, derived from Arab civilization and Islamic heritage. However, its culture has also been affected by rapid change, as the country was transformed from an impoverished Bedouin society into a rich commodity producer in just a few years in the 1970s. This change has also been affected by and the result of a number of factors including the communications revolution and external scholarships. The most current ruler of Saudi Arabia is King Salman. The Wahhabi movement, which arose in the 18th century and is sometimes described as conservative, now predominates in the country. Following the principle of "enjoining good and forbidding wrong", there are many limitations and prohibitions on behavior and dress which are strictly enforced both legally and socially, in line with the country's Islamic traditions. However, many of the traditional restrictions have been lifted recently by the government including allowing women to drive and many other women rights and opportonities, as well as introducing measured social reforms as part of vision 2030. Daily life is dominated by Islamic observance. 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 to Saturday. In accordance with Islamic doctrine, only two religious holidays, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, were publicly recognized, until 2006 when a non-religious holiday, the September 23 national holiday (which commemorates the unification of the kingdom) was reintroduced. In terms of gender relations, Saudi Arabia's norms used to discourage non-familial free mixing between the sexes. Though weddings and other events are mostly sex-separated, it is common to see non-familial free mixing between the sexes happen in public at work events, dinner parties, restaurants and more.

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See also

• ▸Burqa
• ▸Ancient Greek technology
• ▸Gown

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