SAUDI ARABIA

Land

The country occupies about four-fifths of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered

by Jordan, Iraq, and Kuwait to the north; by the Persian Gulf, Qatar, the United Arab
Emirates, and Oman to the east; by a portion of Oman to the southeast; by Yemen to the
south and southwest; and by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba to the west. Long-
running border disputes were nearly resolved with Yemen (2000) and Qatar (2001); the
border with the United Arab Emirates remains undefined. A territory of 2,200 square miles
(5,700 square km) along the gulf coast was shared by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia as a
neutral zone until 1969, when a political boundary was agreed upon. Each of the two
countries administers one-half of the territory, but they equally share oil production in the
entire area. The controversy over the Saudi-Iraqi Neutral Zone was legally settled in 1981
by partition, yet conflict between the two countries persisted and prevented final
demarcation on the ground.

The flag of the Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia (Arabic: ‫ )علم المملكة العربية السعودية‬is the flag
used by the government of Saudi Arabia since
15 March 1973. It is a green flag featuring in
white an Arabic inscription and a sword. The
inscription is the Islamic creed, or shahada:
"There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the
Messenger of God".

The Saudi traditional dress

The Saudi Qamis, also called Thawb or Thobe, refers to that white long sleeved dress.
It truly represents the centerpiece of the Saudi traditional dress and is therefore worn by
all the locals. Made of cotton and synthetic fabric, Thawbs are generally white during
summer and spring. In winter, they are to be found in darker black and blue shades. Since
Saudi Arabia is a region with an arid climate, the Qamis constitutes the ideal clothing as
it offers as much comfort as freshness to the one wearing it. The Saudi Thawb differs
from the Qamis of neighboring countries in some fine details. The collar of the Saudi
Qamis contains two buttons while its sleeves are as tight as those of a regular shirt.
These sleeves are devoid of buttons but have holes for cufflinks.

The Saudi Coat The Saudi Headdress The Taqiyah

 The Iqal The Shemagh Sandals
The Saudi coat known as the “Bisht” is a fine garment that is worn over the Qamis.
It is a very popular garment both in Saudi Arabia and the surrounding Arab countries.
Fashionable and classy, the Bisht is only worn during special occasions like weddings or
religious holidays. It is also the garb the imam wears on Friday sermons. The Saudi
coat may be beige, black, brown, gray or cream. It is decorated with golden embroidery
and closes by means of two strings with golden tassels. In winter, people wear a Bisht
made of camel-hair wool to endure the low season temperatures.

The Saudi headgear is intrinsic to men. Saudis all wear something on their head.
Moreover, due to a blazing sun and many sandstorms, it has become an indispensable
accessory.

The Shemagh is a scarf with a red and white checkered pattern. The price of this
woven cotton fabric varies depending on the quality of the yarn it is made of. The more
the scarf will be processed, the more expensive it will be. There even are woolen models
available for cold days. This traditional garment of the Saudis may also be worn on the
head, or on a Taqiyah for more steadiness. The Shemagh is maintained by an Iqal: an
Arab clothing accessory. It serves to protect from the sun or sandstorms and may be worn
in different ways: loose, on the sides, towards the rear, or even tied in a knot.

The Taqiyah or Sheshiya is a white embroidered cap. It allows one to fasten the Ghutra
or Shemagh so that the headscarf doesn’t slide.

Made of synthetic yarns or goat wool, the Iqal, Agal or Igal is a clothing accessory in
the form of dual hoops. It keeps the Ghutra or Keffiyeh in place. Some of its models have
a Tarbusha (a small cord with a suspended tassel at the rear).

Sandals, which are called “N3ala”, are an extra accessory of the Saudi traditional
dress. Due to the sunny weather, it is hard not to notice them since they are worn by all
citizens in the Saudi Kingdom. Made out of leather or plastic, its price varies depending
on the material to be used.
The geographical location, climate and religious code are all criteria that determine
the dress code of a country. The Saudi, Emirati and Qatari Qamis reflect modesty in
cut clothing, comfort and freshness in a garment and the elegance of white. Although they
seem identical at first, their collars or sleeves subtly remind us of their country of origin.
Religion

Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam, and most of its natives are adherents of the
majority Sunni branch. In modern times, the Wahhābī interpretation of Sunni Islam has
been especially influential, and Muslim scholars espousing that sect’s views have been a
major social and political force. Wahhābism, as it is called in the West (members refer to
themselves as muwaḥḥidūn, “unitarians”), is a strict interpretation of the Ḥanbalī
school of Islamic jurisprudence and is named for Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb (1703–
92), a religious scholar whose alliance with Ibn Saʿūd led to the establishment of the first
Saʿūdī state.
Languages

Arabic is a Semitic language of numerous vernacular dialects that originated on the

Arabian Peninsula. There are three main dialect groups in Saudi Arabia—in the eastern,
central, and western parts of the country—though these are not always clearly discernible
from one another because of the pervasiveness of local variations. There are various
degrees of mutual intelligibility among dialect groups, but some differences are quiet
pronounced. The written language, Modern Standard Arabic, is derived from Classical
Arabic, the language of the Qurʾān, and is used as a literary koine within the kingdom and
throughout the broader Arab world. Various dialects of Arabic from other regions are also
spoken by expatriate workers, as are numerous other non-Arabic languages such as
Persian, Urdu, Pashto, Tagalog, and Korean. English is widely understood.

Saudi Arabian cuisine

1. Kapsa 2. Mutabbaq
Let's start with the national dish called Originating from Yemen, the word
Kapsa. It is an easy and traditional dish Mutabbaq means ‘folded’ and that is
made of chicken and rice that gives you exactly what this is, a folded pancake.
that ultimate happy full feeling. Kapsa You can get them stuffed full with
Spice is another alternative that you can vegetables for a midday snack from
find on Goody Kitchen, just add saffron, street vendors when in Jeddah, or you
cinnamon, black lime, cardamom, can make them at home with this recipe
nutmeg and bay leaves to the traditional from Asma’s Kitchen.
recipe.
3. Shawarma
We are sure that you have heard about 4. Falafel
Shawarma before. This fashion of OK. So we all love falafel and it is nothing
cooking meat is very popular in Middle new, but we wanted to include it anyway,
Eastern countries with SA being no because spicy chickpeas are glorious.
exception. It originated from Levantine You can thank the Egyptians for this tasty
cuisine and is now found all over the vegetarian treat and you can thank Ya
world. Salam Cooking for the recipe.
Drainage and soils

There are virtually no permanent surface streams in the country, but wadis are numerous.
Those leading to the Red Sea are short and steep, though one unusually long extension
is made by Wadi Al-Ḥamḍ, which rises near Medina and flows inland to the northwest for
100 miles (160 km) before turning westward; those draining eastward are longer and
more developed except in Al-Nafūd and the Rubʿ al-Khali. Soils are poorly developed.
Large areas are covered with pebbles of varying sizes. Alluvial deposits are found in
wadis, basins, and oases. Salt flats are especially common in the east.

Climate

There are three climatic zones in the kingdom:

(1) desert almost everywhere, (2) steppe along the
western highlands, forming a strip less than 100
miles (160 km) wide in the north but becoming
almost 300 miles (480 km) wide at the latitude of
Mecca, and (3) a small area of humid and mild
temperature conditions, with long summers, in the
highlands just north of Yemen.