Saudi Arabian native and Silicon Valley techie Motaz Hajaj gives you the basics on the culture of his homeland. Part 1 covers basic information about the country and its people. Learn about the history, government, economy and its vision for the future. This is a great place to start if you want to bridge the gap between cultures so you can communicate, collaborate and connect with ease.

1. MOTAZ HAJAJ &
Charis Intercultural Training
SAUDI ARABIA
Understanding the Basics of

2. THE LAND
&
PEOPLE

3. Flag
The flag of The Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia (KSA) has a
green background with
white letters showing the
Muslim creed in Arabic:
“There is no god but God:
Muhammad is the
Messenger of God.”

4. Emblem
A date palm, representing
vitality and growth, and
two crossed swords,
symbolizing justice and
strength rooted in faith.

5. Terrain
The terrain is varied; fairly
barren and harsh, with salt flats,
gravel plains and sand deserts.
There are a few man-made lakes
but no permanent streams.
The south features the Rub Al-
Khali (Empty Quarter), the
largest sand desert in the world.
In the southwest, mountain
ranges stand over 9,000 feet.
Photo Source: Javierblas

6. Climate
June throughAugust, it can get
over 43 °C midday in the desert.
Humidity in the coastal regions
reaches up to 100 percent.
In the winter, temperatures can
go below freezing in the
northern and central regions.
It is possible for the Rub Al-Khali
to get no rain for 10 years. The
mountains of the Asir Province
can get up to 20 inches a year.

7. Currency
Saudi Riyal (SR)
$1 = SR3.75
Bank notes are in denominations
of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, and 500. All
but the 500 denomination feature
a picture of former King Abdullah
Bin Abdulaziz al-Saud.
Coins in denominations of 5, 10,
50, 100 and 500 halalahs.
100 halalahs = 1 riyal

8. Population
32.13 million people live in KSA
While most of the population
used to be nomadic (1960s) ,
95% are now settled.
The median age is 28.6
Women have, on average, 3
children.

9. People
Ethnic Groups: 90% Arab
10% African or Asian
Arabic is the native language,
however English is spoken widely in
urban areas.
Islam is the official religion.
Up to 30% of the population may be
foreign nationals.

10. A
SHORT
HISTORY

11. An Ancient Trade Center
Trade routes through the
Arabian Peninsula allowed
transport of agricultural
goods, such as spices, dates
and almonds, from the Nile
Valley to Mesopotamia.
The desert climate and trade
importance of the peninsula
kept it somewhat immune to
invasion from powerful
neighbors.

12. The Birth of Islam
Islam is the religion that is deeply
entwined with Saudi Arabia’s culture.
According to tradition, in 2000-1700
B.C.E., Abraham had two children,
Ishmael and Isaac. Muslims claim
descent from Ishmael and Jews track
their descent through Isaac.
In 622 the Prophet Muhammed was
revealed the Quran from the angel
Gabriel. Muhammed moved from
Mecca to Medina, taking the Quran
with him and starting the Islamic faith.

13. Science Flourishes
600-1600: Muslim rulers promote
science and many fields were
furthered such as:
Mathematics-the use of zero
Astronomy-calculating the round
(Earth’s diameter)
Medicine-surgeries and a medicinal
volume of texts that was later used by
European doctors (allowing
emergence from the Dark Ages)

14. The First Saudi State
In the 18th Century, a Muslim scholar
named Shaikh Muhammed bin
AbdulWahhab began advocating a
return to the original form of Islam.
Facing persecution, Abdul Wahhab
moved to the town of Diriyah, ruled
by Muhammed bin Saud.
The two men formed an agreement
to restore the pure teachings of
Islam and formed the First Saudi
State known as the Shaikh.
Photo Credit: Guilherme Paula

15. The Second Saudi State
In 1818, Ottomans destroyed the city
of Diriyah.
By 1824, the Al-Saud family regained
control of central Arabia. As their rule
continued, they ensured the rights
and well-being of their people.
The Saudi State was overthrown by
the Al-Rashid family in 1891. The Al-
Saud family took refuge in the Rub’
Al-Khali, then moved to Kuwait where
the young son Abdulaziz became a
fierce warrior for the cause of Islam.
Photo Credit: Petrovic-Njegos

16. The Modern Kingdom
In 1902, Abdulaziz staged a daring
night march with only 40 followers
and retook the city of Riyadh. This
marks the beginning for the modern
Saudi state.
Abdulaziz united warring tribes of the
area into one nation.
The country was named the
“Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” in 1932.
The Holy Qur’an was made its
constitution, and Arabic its national
language.

17. GOVERNMENT
&
ECONOMY

18. Government
KSA is a monarchy, based on Islam.
The king is supported by the Crown
Prince (2nd in line to the throne) and:
• Council of Ministers
• Consultative Council
• Provincial Councils
Political change is gradual, reflecting
the primary concern of the king-
maintain unity of senior family
members and satisfying concerns of
influential clerics.

19. Government
Council of Ministers (Cabinet)- usually
chosen from the royal family.
Responsible for drafting and
overseeing policies and general affairs
of state.
Consultative Council- provides the
king with advice
Provincial Councils- headed by
regional governors
Municipal Councils- responsible for
local services

20. Basic Law
The Basic Law of Government was
introduced in 1992 and states that the
Quran, and the hadith (sayings) and
sunna (tradition) of the Prophet
Mohammed are the constitution of
Saudi Arabia. At no time should the
law clash with these three, which are
referred to as Shari’ah.
Basic Law also codified the process of
royal succession, under which the king
would choose his heir from the “most
upright” of the sons of the founding
king, Abdul-Aziz, or their
descendants.

21. King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
The king holds the title, “Custodian
of theTwo Holy Mosques”.
Saudi Arabia has been ruled since
its foundation by the Al Saud
dynasty.
King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
was crowned in 2015 following the
death of his half brother, King
Abdullah.
Salman began as the Governor of
Riyadh Province, a role which he
held for 48 years.
Photo by: Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

22. Prince Mohamed bin Naif
Bin Abdulaziz
The Crown Prince is the King’s
successor, known as “Crown Prince
Deputy Prime Minister.”
In case of absence of the king, the
Crown Prince becomesVice
Custodian of theTwo Holy
Mosques.
Muhammad bin Naif became
Crown Prince in 2015 and also holds
the title Minister of Interior as well
as Chairman of the new Council for
Political and Security Affairs.

23. Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud
The Deputy Crown Prince is 3rd in
line to the throne.
Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud
also hold the title of Minister of
Defense, and Chairman of the
Council for Economic and
Development Affairs.
He is the son of the king, and has
been a close advisor to his father
since King Salman’s governance of
Riyadh Province.

24. Oil
Oil accounts for more than 90% of
the country’s exports and nearly
75% of government revenues.
Saudi oil reserves are the largest in
the world, about ¼ of total reserves.
The government is working to shift
dependence on oil to industry,
agriculture, and business.

25. Economic Forecast
Population growth has strained the
government’s ability to finance
improvements.
Key priorities are economic
diversification and reducing
dependence on expatriate labor.
Plans for new “Economic Cities”
contain large-scale integrated
construction projects to meet the
infrastructure and housing needs of a
larger economy and a new generation.
Photo Source: Oecd.org

26. 2030 VISION

27. “We have outlined a comprehensive and
ambitiousVision for Saudi Arabia until the year
2030. It is the first step on our journey toward
a better, brighter future for our country and
our citizens…
ThisVision will be the point of reference for
our future decisions, so that all future projects
are aligned to its content.”
-Vision 2030

28. Advantages of the Kingdom
Saudi Arabia’s status as the
heart of the Islamic world
and the Land of theTwo
Holy Mosques
Determination to become a
global investment
powerhouse
Unique strategic geographic
location connecting Asia,
Europe and Africa

29. Themes of the Vision
Vibrant Society- Islamic principle of
moderation, national identity, ancient
cultural heritage, caring families, and
a good social and health care system
Thriving Economy- opportunities for a
good educational system, improving
the quality of services and businesses
Ambitious Nation- applying efficiency
and responsibility at all levels as well
as preparing the right environment for
facing challenges and seizing
opportunities

30. Executing the plan
Some examples of changes spurred
byVision 2030 are:
The investment of $3.5 billion into
the rideshare service Uber will help
diversify the Saudi Public
Investment Fund and give more
options for mobility to its people.
KSA plans to sell shares in its oil
company, Aramco, using the
profits to set up its sovereign
wealth fund.

31. Future Opportunities
Education reform, focusing more
on market needs than religion
Over 450 clubs for entertainment
and culture are planned
More tourism “on a selected basis”
More opportunities to take part in
sports
Enhanced health care with more
competition and transparency

32. Want more information on Saudi
Arabian Culture?
Saudi Arabia
+1 925 931-0555
Connect with us to learn how to work across cultures.
Motaz Hajaj
ChessTag
motaz@chesstag.com
United States
Marian Stetson-Rodriguez
Charis InterculturalTraining
info@chariscorp.com
@motazhajaj

33. To Continue Learning:
Click to view the next presentation in my series-
Cultural Differences

34. THANK
YOU

35. Photo Sources
Photos used under:
Creative CommonsAttribution- Share alike 3.0 Unported license
Creative CommonsAttribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license
GNU Free Documentation License
Public Domain