Did you ever think you could serve jail time for a selfie? Well, there’s no country quite
like Saudi Arabia, and while it definitely has a colorful culture, some of its traditions
and rules are fascinating…. And some are just plain weird! See for yourself…
Saudi Arabia is located on the Arabian Peninsula. Just so you know, this is the world’s largest
peninsula. And even though Saudi Arabia is the 13th largest country in the world, it
still has no river! Considering the fact that it’s mostly deserts, this is a real bummer
for everybody.
Plus, despite its desert climate, snow, rain, and hail are never out of the picture. Especially,
if you live in areas like Tabuk. There’s also a very unusual border between
Saudi Arabia and Jordan. It’s a zig zag shape and, therefore, attracts tons of tourists
from all over the world.
The Saudi population is also pretty young - only 5 percent of people in Saudi Arabia
are over 60! In fact, half of the country is actually under the age of 24. Now what’s
their secret?
Saudi Arabia has its own Royal family, which can easily compete with the British one. For
instance, the Saudi Royal family is estimated to be worth about 13 trillion dollars! Wow.
Speaking of the Royal family, the king of Saudi Arabia is officially known as the “Custodian
of the Two Holy Mosques.”
If you ever plan to visit Saudi Arabia, you should probably know that taking pictures
of buildings or people is strictly forbidden here. And it’s not all fun and games - posting
a picture that violates someone’s privacy can cost you one year in jail or a fine of
more than $133,000.
If you’re left-handed, you should also be careful. In Saudi culture, the left hand is
considered unclean, so whenever you meet somebody new, always use your right hand for a handshake.
Moreover, eating with your left hand is considered a sin, so good luck having a delicious Saudi
lunch!
Also, don’t be surprised if you see a Saudi family enjoying their meals on the floor.
Another thing that you should keep in mind is to never show the soles of your feet or
shoes! This is considered to be highly disrespectful in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi people take naming their child pretty seriously. They usually choose names that
somehow reflect their kid’s heritage, the clan they’re from, or their extended family.
One of the most successful industries in Saudi Arabia is the camel industry. And it’s no
joke, you guys, they sell roughly 100 camels every single day! Um, would you like one hump
of two?
Not that long ago, the women of Saudi Arabia weren’t allowed to drive cars or even ride
bicycles. However, they could easily fly planes if they wanted to. Seems logical! Thankfully,
in 2018, this ban was lifted.
Still, Saudi women have a whole set of other restrictions they have to follow. They can’t
leave their house alone, try on clothes before buying them, travel without the permission
of their male guardian, or even get important medical help without the written signature
from a male relative. Okay…
However, there are a couple of silver linings. For example, since 2013, about 20 percent
of the kingdom’s Shura Council members have been women.
Universities are also packed with women. According to statistics, about 52 percent of students
pursuing a bachelor’s degree are, in fact, women.
At least Saudi education is doing something right! It’s completely free, by the way,
and this goes for both college and post-graduate schooling. The students also attend lessons
a bit differently - from October all the way through July.
Valentine’s Day in Saudi Arabia also comes with a set of rules. Flower shops can’t
sell red roses, gift shops avoid selling heart-shaped products, and girls are prohibited from wearing
red to school. And if you're a Saudi man, giving flowers to your sweetheart is also
not a good idea. Here, women can only receive flowers from other women.
Saudi wedding ceremonies are also not as fun as you might think. Believe it or not, they’re
often held separately for the bride and the groom! The newlyweds get together only near
the end of it.
But enough about romance, soon enough Saudi Arabia’s gonna have the tallest building
in the world! It’s called the Jeddah Tower (or the Kingdom Tower) and this baby will
reach 3,280 feet in height. Oh boy.
I also have some bad news for Pokémon lovers - it’s banned in Saudi Arabia! And this
ban involves everything from games to innocent cards.
The same thing happened to another huge hit - Harry Potter books. That’s right, your
favorite magic story is banned in Saudi Arabia too! That’s because the government is very
serious about Saudi citizens practicing any form of witchcraft or sorcery and even has
a police unit for catching magic practitioners.
Remember the popular “dab” dance move? Well, a Saudi singer was actually arrested
for performing it in public! The government sees it as a strong reference to drug use
and doesn’t want Saudi youth to get involved in it.
Music classes are also kinda banned in public schools. Sure, the Saudi music industry is
pretty dynamic, but all Saudi musicians either taught themselves how to play instruments
or had to hire a tutor.
Men and women (if they’re not related) still can’t interact with one another freely in
Saudi Arabia. Yup, most of the public areas are actually segregated and even have different
entrances for different sexes. And breaking this rule can lead to serious criminal charges
for both parties.
By the way, there are no cinemas in Saudi Arabia for the same reason. The government
believes that movies may give men and women inappropriate ideas, so some Saudi people
actually take trips to Bahrain to watch a new blockbuster.
If you live in Saudi Arabia, you should also forget about crazy birthday parties. Public
gatherings of any kind are completely prohibited, so your best option is having a piece of cake
at home in your favorite pajamas.
Saudi people, however, seem to be real adrenaline junkies at heart. They really enjoy sidewalk
skiing, which is basically when you tilt your vehicle while driving, when another person
stands on top of it. Wild!
When the rest of the world obsesses over oil, Saudi people know what’s good. Here, fresh
water is way more expensive and valuable. However, that’s probably because all the
oil in Saudi Arabia can easily fill more than 4.7 million Olympic-size swimming pools!
Saudi Arabia is full of amazing places you can visit and enjoy as a tourist. And its
culture and beauty are definitely worth your attention!
What’s the weirdest thing about your country? Let me know down in the comments! If you learned
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