Culture

Saudi Arabia is a culturally diverse country itself, with many foreign nationals working there. The dominant social norms stem from a highly-literal interpretation of Islamic texts (Wahhabism), which is stricter than in most of the Islamic world.

Saudi Arabian culture revolves almost entirely around the religion of Islam. Islam's two holiest sites, Mecca and Medina, are located in the country. Every day, five times a day, Muslims are called to prayer from the minarets of mosques which dot the country. The weekend consists of Thursday and Friday. The public practice of any religion other than Islam, including Christianity and Judaism, the presence of churches, and open possession of Christian religious materials are outlawed in Saudi Arabia.

Dress

Saudi Arabian dress is strongly symbolic, representing the people's ties to the land, the past and Islam. Traditionally, men usually wear an ankle-length shirt woven from wool or cotton (known as a thawb), with a shimagh (a large chequered square of cotton held in place by the agal - a black cord coil) or a ghutra (a plain white square made of finer cotton, also held in place by the agal) worn on the head. For rare chilly days, Saudi men wear a camel-hair cloak (bisht) over the top. Most Saudi from all social strata wear this clothing, although Western-style clothing is also popular among Saudi youth.

Women's clothes are decorated with tribal motifs, coins, sequins, metallic thread and appliqués. However, they must wear a long cloak (abaya) and veil (niqab) when they leave the house to protect their modesty. The law does not apply to foreigners at such a high degree, although both men and women are expected to dress modestly.

Dance

One of Saudi Arabia's most compelling folk rituals is the Al Ardha, the country's national dance. This sword dance is based on ancient Bedouin traditions: drummers beat out a rhythm and a poet chants verses while sword-carrying men dance shoulder to shoulder.

Al-sihba folk music, from the Hijaz, has its origins in Arab Andalusia, a region of medieval Spain. In Mecca, Medina and Jeddah, dance and song incorporate the sound of the al-mizmar, an oboe-like woodwind instrument. The drum is also an important instrument according to traditional and tribal customs.

Social Norms

Mixing of the sexes in public areas is strongly discouraged. Men are not supposed to talk to the opposite sex except out of necessity. Women are not allowed to drive or ride bicycles on public roads. Adult men and women may not mingle in public, unless they are married or close relatives.

Sports

Sports are a very popular pastime for the young men. Women rarely participate in sports, usually in indoor stadium where the presence of men is minimal or absent. Even though football is the most played game, Saudi Arabia has participated in many world games such as the summer Olympics, volleyball, basketball and other sports. The national football team is most known for qualifying in four consecutive times in the FIFA World Cup and six times at the Asian Cup, which the team won three times and was runner-up two times.

Theatre and Cinema

Public theatres and cinemas are prohibited, as Wahabbi tradition deems those institutions to be incompatible with Islam. However, in private compounds such as Dhahran and Ras Tanura public theatres can be found, but often are more popular for local music, arts, and theatre productions rather than the exhibition of motion pictures. Recently, plans for some cinemas that will be allowed to feature Arabic cartoons for women and children were announced.