The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia The Birthplace of Islam

Geography Temperatures can reach over 110 degrees in the summer and drop below freezing in the winter. Saudi Arabia gets an average of about four in. of rain per year. 95 percent of the land is desert. An Nafud Desert & Ar Rub' Al Khali Desert (known as the empty quarter) have dunes that extend for over 25 miles and are over 100 ft. high. The Empty Quarter is the world’s largest sand-only desert. The Red Sea and Persian Gulf provide natural borders and the Red Sea features diverse tropical fish and coral reefs.

History In the early 18th century Muhammad bin Saud formed the first Saudi state. The modern KSA was formed by Abdulaziz Al Saud in 1902. In 1933 large quantities of oil was discovered in the Eastern region of the KSA. On September 25th 2011 King Abdullah granted Saudi women the right to vote. He also allowed women to be appointed to the Shura, an assembly that advises the King on laws and other issues.

Islam Around the year 610 the Prophet Muhammad received his first message from Allah. Muslims pray 5 times a day, facing the Kaaba in Mecca. Ramadan is a holy month during which Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. Hajj is an annual pilgrimage where millions of Muslims from around the world come to Mecca to perform rituals.

Art Most Saudi’s listen to modern Arabic and western music. Traditional folk music, poetry, and dances are also very important. In Islam it is forbidden to produce images of living things as it is believed that the creation of living forms is unique to Allah Saudi Arabia is famous for its Islamic architecture. Calligraphy, which usually uses the Koran as its subject matter, is the quintessential Islamic art form.

“Bismilleh” “God is great”

Hijab or shayla Clothing Many Saudi’s wear western style clothing in their day-to-day lives. But traditional clothing is still very popular. igaal ghutra abaya thoub

Food Muslims do not eat pork or drink alcohol, and all meat consumed must be halaal. Modern Saudi’s eat much of the same food as their ancestors; dates, breads, yogurt, meat, and rice. Saudi’s typically eat using their hands or flat bread as utensils.

What do Saudi’s do for fun? Hookah cafés as well as soccer are very popular. Families enjoy riding atv’s in the sand dunes and camping in tents Bedouin style. Many Saudi’s enjoy watching western TV shows and movies, although there are no movie theaters in the country. Saudi’s also enjoy visiting the Red Sea where they can go boating, fishing, and snorkeling.