Liters Of Liquid
The entire region of the Arab Peninsula practically sweats oil, so would you really be surprised to find out that oil is cheaper to buy than water? Consider that Saudi Arabia is virtually in the middle of the desert too.
Liters Of Liquid
Female Drivers
Does it seem normal that in 2018 women still couldn’t drive somewhere around the world? In Saudi Arabia women have never been allowed to drive, but recently in June 2018, The law banning women from driving and obtaining a driver’s license was revoked.
Female Drivers
Not Just Driving
Let’s put driving on the back burner, because there are many other activities women can’t engage in. What am I talking about? Let’s see, what about opening a bank account? What about travelling? Women even need special permission from their male counterparts or guardians to go to school or work.
Not Just Driving
Be Gay, Just Not There
For any woman or man who finds love in someone of the same sex, Saudi Arabia’s Sharia Law doesn’t reply with much love. Homosexuals will not simply get a fine for their love choices, they will be punished by lashings and in some cases, get the death penalty.
Be Gay Just Not There
Witches And Witchcraft
The death sentence doesn’t just apply to homosexuals, it also applies to a series of other criminal acts. Murder, armed robbery, adultery and witchcraft (you read that right) are all offenses that call for the death penalty. In 2006 alone, the Saudi government executed 154 offenders.
Witches And Witchcraft
The Holiest Sites
A great misconception made by many Muslims and non-Muslims alike worldwide, is that Jerusalem is Islam’s holiest site. In actual fact, it not the first, nor the second, but the third holiest site. Saudi Arabia is the home to the two holiest sites in Islam – Mecca and Medina. As a non-Muslim you can not enter these two cities.
The Holiest Sites
Driving Like Maniacs
Saudi Arabia is the inventor of a “sport” you’ve never seen performed on purpose. This new and very dangerous sport is called “sidewalk skiing”, although it takes place on freeways. Drivers drive their Jeeps on only two wheels while passengers happily climb out of the elevated windows. In some cases, the passengers will even remove a wheel or two.
Driving Like Maniacs
Forbidden Photos
Even though the women in Saudi Arabia are modestly covered up, photographing them is an absolute no! Trust me when I say that you shouldn’t try it just to see what happens. As for the men, snap away, but ask for permission first, it’s only polite.
Forbidden Photos
More Than You Can Count
The Saudi Arabian royal family knows a thing or two about making and holding onto money, I mean it’s practically coming out of their ears! In total their wealth cashes in at an unbelievable $14 trillion!
More Than You Can Count
Their Own Wall
Walls seem to be going up everywhere, and Saudi Arabia is no stranger to this trend. With civil war and terrorism on the rise in their neighboring countries, they decided to put up security fences and a security wall. The borders are meant to protect them from ISIS and the civil war in Yemen.
Their Own Wall
Towering Heights
It seems the Arab world is dominating the craft of creating massive skyscrapers. But when “Jeddah Tower” also known as “Kingdom Tower” is completed in 2020, it will be the world’s highest building, successfully passing the 1-kilometer mark.
Towering Heights
Forbidden Alcohol
Saudi Arabia isn’t that much different from other Islamic states when it comes to alcohol. Selling or consuming alcohol is completely forbidden and the punishment for doing either one of these is whipping. At least it isn’t death.
Forbidden Alcohol
Camel Steak
It might be easy to quickly say that eating camel meat is wrong, but shall we take a look at our own eating habits? The Saudis enjoy eating camel meat as much as we enjoy eating beef, or pork, or chicken.
Camel Steak
Right-Handed
In Saudi Arabia, like other places around the world, you shake someone’s right hand when you meet them. This rule applies to receiving something from someone, using your right hand only. The right hand is considered to be the clean hand, whereas the left is the hand for tasks that are “not clean”.
Right-Handed
Desert Dunes
Even though Saudi Arabia is enormous and takes up miles and miles of desert, a lot of the land cannot be be cultivated. Having said that, it means that there is only about 2% of Saudi Arabia’s landmass that can be farmed.
Desert Dunes
UNESCO Sites
Saudi Arabia is proud to be the home of four UNESCO Heritage sites. These four sites are, Al-Hijr Archaeological Site, At-Turaif District In ad-Dir’iyah, Historic Jeddah, and Rock Art Of The Hail Region.
UNESCO Sites
The King
Saudi Arabia has a very powerful king and his title does not for a moment take away from that. The king of Saudi Arabia, 82 year-old King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, has been the king and prime minister since 2005. His official title is “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and head of the House of Saud.”
The King
Executions
As many religions and countries move forward with the times, others take a little longer to do so. Saudi Arabia has moved away from their tradition of beheading criminals and replaced it with employing a shooting squad. But the main reason for this shift is because skilled swordsmen have become a rarity.
Executions
Gigantic Size
Even with only 2% arable land, Saudi Arabia is huge. It is the 13th largest country in the world, and the largest in the Middle-East. If you wanted to know its measurements, it is 83,000 square miles (2,149,690 square km).
Gigantic Size
Two Separate Weddings
In Saudi Arabia weddings aren’t just expensive, they also come two at a time. When a couple ties the knot they hold two separate events in two different halls or places. But as you guessed it, after celebrations the couple reunite.
Two Separate Weddings
Traffic Accidents
Saudi Arabia is one of the most dangerous countries in the world when it comes to driving. In fact, a 2000 study by World Bank revealed that Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Thailand and South Africa are the most dangerous countries to drive in. Perhaps their “sidewalk skiing” contributes to this.
Traffic Accidents
An Absolute Monarchy
There are only a handful of absolute monarchies in the world at the moment, and Saudi Arabia is proud to be one of them. Other countries falling into this category are Brunei, Vatican City, Oman and Swaziland. The Al Saud family has ruled since September 23rd, 1932 – its inception.
An Absolute Monarchy
The Camel Market
If you’re looking to buy a camel (whatever your reason might be), head to the Riyadh camel market. It is one of the world’s largest camel markets and sells around 100 camels every single day.
The Camel Market
Not Playing Safe
The law in Saudi Arabia forbids its population from using any method of birth control. That might not be so surprising, but knowing that Iran has one of the only condom factories in the Middle-East might be.
Not Playing Safe
Chewing Coffee
We use coffee to get a wake-up and a boost of energy. In Saudi Arabia they call it ‘gahwa’ which translates to ‘that which prevents sleep.’ It is forbidden to drink coffee because it is a stimulant, but many drink it and even chew on its beans during prayer services.
Chewing Coffee
Powerful People
Before 90-year-old King Abdullah died in January 2015, he was considered the 8th most powerful person in the world. Forbes magazine also called him the world’s most powerful Muslim.
Powerful People
She Wears This
Women in Saudi Arabia have a dress code that dates back the times of the Bible. The traditional Judaic dress is called an ‘abaya’ and it is black.
She Wears This
He Wears This
When it comes to the men, their traditional garb is ‘thobes’ which is a lightweight cotton garment and is white. They also wear bischts which looks like a graduation gown, and gutras which is a traditional head scarf.
He Wears This
She Wears But He Sells
This is quite a strange one, so be ready. Until 2012, men were the only ones allowed to sell lingerie to women as women couldn’t work outside of their homes. Eventually King Abdullah reverted the law and now only women can sell lingerie.
She Wears But He Sells
Slavery
Slavery was by no means a new concept in the Arab Peninsula, but over the last century it was abolished. Saudi Arabia however, was a little slow on the “no more slavery” train and only got rid of it in 1962.
Slavery
Right To Vote
In another move to make Saudi Arabia the last country in the world to do something, King Abdullah declared women eligible to vote in 2011. The law only came into full swing in 2015.
Right To Vote
The Purity Police
We know for sure that the Saudis take care of crime offenders, but what about religious crime offenders? The “Mutaween” AKA the “Committee for the Preservation of Virtue and for the Prevention of Vice,” ensures that residents and tourists dress and behave appropriately.
The Purity Police
Saudi Arabia And Its Name
King Abdul Aziz bin Rahman Al Saud, or Ibn Saud, Saudi Arabia is the reason for Saudi Arabia’s name. In 1932 he proclaimed Saudi independence and crowned himself as king. He had 17 different wives, fathered 44 known sons — 35 of which were still alive after he died in 1953 — and an unknown number of daughters.
Saudi Arabia And Its Name
Arab Astronaut
From the deserts of Arabia to the gravity-free matrix of space. 1985 saw a special time for Saudi Arabia as they sent Prince Sultan bin Salman into space aboard the U.S. space shuttle “Discovery”. The prince became the first Saudi, first Muslim and first Arab to go into space.
Arab Astronaut
“Winston’s Hiccup”
An old joke about the size of Saudi Arabia is attributed to English Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. The joke told that when he was drawing up the boundaries for Saudi Arabia and Jordan, he hiccuped from the drinking too much brandy. The hiccup caused his hand to slip and granted a few extra thousand miles to Saudi Arabia.
“Winston’s Hiccup”
Harry Potter The Wizard
If you think about it, Harry Potter is a wizard and therefore what he does is considered witchcraft. But if you also think about it, Harry Potter isn’t real. I don’t recommend you argue this point over with the Saudi authorities.
Harry Potter The Wizard
Non-Muslims In Saudi Arabia
Although non-Muslims can visit and even work in Saudi Arabia, they can never obtain Saudi citizenship. For anyone not of the Muslim faith, creating a place of worship is strictly forbidden.
Non-Muslims In Saudi Arabia
The Assassinated King
The royal Saudi family knows about family feuds, for sure. King Faisal’s nephew assassinated him in 1975 after coming home from a trip to America. It was also in that year that King Faisal received the title of “Man of the Year” by Time magazine for his contribution to his country’s development.
The Assassinated King
9/11 Terrorists
Despite wanting to wash their hands of any involvement in the attacks on America on September 11th, 2001, Saudi Arabia can’t. The reason for this is that 15 of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia.
9/11 Terrorists
The Yom Kippur War
During the Yom Kippur War of 1973, Saudi Arabia sent around 3,000 fighters to Syria to fight against Israel. Originally denying their involvement, Saudi Arabia’s armored cars that they sent were destroyed by the Israeli Army and put on display for the international community to see. Due to America’s backing of Israel during the conflict, Saudi Arabia started an oil embargo against USA.
The Yom Kippur War
Caring For Citizens
Saudi Arabia provides free healthcare for all of its citizens. In addition to healthcare, the government also provides free public schooling. The literacy rate is just under 70%, though.
Caring For Citizens
A Young Nation
It’s quite amazing that the Saudi population’s average age is only 18 years old. This number can be understood in other terms by saying that 75% of the population is under the age of 35.
A Young Nation
Giant Fountain
Saudi Arabia might be in the middle of the desert, but it doesn’t mean that it has no water. The world’s tallest water fountain is a major attraction for locals and tourists alike and it was commissioned by King Fahd.
Giant Fountain
America And Saudi Arabia
America and Saudi Arabia have a history of mutual interests that date back to the Second World War. The general relationship has been one of “oil for security”. Both countries feel a common need to fight the spread of extremist terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS.
America And Saudi Arabia
Saudis In America
This one is going to blow your mind. Saudi Arabia has actually purchased a large plot of land in Arizona. They’re using this land to grow hay, with the purpose of shipping it back to their dairy farms back home.
Saudis In America
The Muslim Brotherhood
Recently Saudi Arabia has taken on fresh and innovative methods for dealing with terrorism. It has introduced and passed numerous new anti-terror laws. Despite protest by many other Arab nations and organizations, Saudi Arabia named the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.
The Muslim Brotherhood
The Queen Of England
The Queen of England granted a knighthood in the Order of the Bath to King Ibn Saud in 1935. This was a paramount action and one that was received with great respect both by the Saudis and the English population.
The Queen Of England
The Religious Police
In 2002, a devastating fire at an all-girls’ school in Mecca, claimed the lives of 15 girls. The rumor that spread after the tragedy was that the “modesty police” prevented girls from leaving the building because they weren’t dressed in accordance with strict Islamic dress code.
The Religious Police
To The Cross
Creativity for execution hasn’t been lost on the Saudi authorities. Beheading and firing squads are more common than the occasional crucifixion which is actually still a sentence.
To The Cross
Drinking From The Sea
Saudi Arabia has no access to rivers, and it is a desert land. Even though there is water on two sides of the massive country, those water sources are bodies of salt water – the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. It is from these two sources that Saudi Arabia has created the world’s largest desalination plant to bring its citizens clean drinking water.
Drinking From The Sea
The Stampede
An incident that occurred on September 24th, 2015, forever changed Saudi Arabia. The “2015 Mina Stampede” claimed the lives of more than 2,000 worshipers who came for the annual Hajj pilgrimage. A major investigation followed the tragic event and it has been mostly attributed to overcrowding.
The Stampede
Stoning The Devil
Coming to Mecca on the day of Eid al-Adha (the 10th day of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah) means that you can find worshipers throwing stones at three different walls. The purpose of the rock-throwing is to represent the stoning of the devil, which is done with the use of seven stones.
Stoning The Devil
Going Nuclear
Pakistan is one of the few countries across the globe that has its own arsenal of nuclear weapons. The Saudi kingdom has been involved in lengthy military dialogue with the Pakistanis for a long time already and much speculation has come up as a result of that. Many believe that Saudi Arabia funded Pakistan’s nuclear program in order to secure an armament of their own.
Going Nuclear
Deporting Immigrants
Immigrants have made up a huge part of the country’s cheap labor force, and many of these immigrants come from Somalia, Yemen and Ethiopia. The Saudi kingdom has detained and deported more than 500,000 of them since 2013.
Deporting Immigrants
Praying Times
Prayers are held at many different intervals during the day. The importance of prayer is paramount and will cease any activities going on at any time. In fact businesses close for about 30 to 45 minutes, 3 or 4 times a day just for praying.
Praying Times
Second World War
During World War II, Saudi Arabia tried its hardest to stay out of the action. The third king, Abd al Aziz, actually had a strong relationship with the Axis powers, but as the war neared its end, Saudi Arabia moved its flag in the direction of the Allies.
Second World War
Speaking Up
Citizens and tourists alike have to be careful what criticism they spill about the monarchy as it is strictly forbidden. Saudi writer, Raif Badawi, received 1,000 lashes and a 10-year prison sentence in 2014. Why did he receive this punishment? Simply for “insulting Islam”.
Speaking Up
Converting Currencies
If you ever happened to visit Saudi Arabia with your U.S. dollars, you would at least be getting more bang for your buck. A single American dollar has the value of 3.75 Saudi riyal.
Converting Currencies
Military Might
When your greatest enemy is Iran, and you have oil reserves that are worth trillions of dollars, you’ve got to have a powerful military. Saudi Arabia allocates more than 10% of its GDP on military expenses. In fact Saudi Arabia comes in fourth place globally for the highest military expenditure – 63.7 billion U.S. dollars a year.
Military Might
Its Neighbors
Saudi Arabia has a number of interesting neighboring countries. It has Jordan and Iraq in the north, Kuwait in the northeast, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates off to the east, Oman to the southeast and Yemen to the south.
Its Neighbors
Two Calendars
Can you imagine not having the Gregorian calendar? Well, had you asked a Saudi that very question before 2016, they would have told you, “of course”. From 2016 the Saudis started using the Gregorian calendar, but only for civil purposes. The popular calendar is the lunar Islamic calendar.
Two Calendars
Domestic Violence Against Women
It comes as quite a late game-changer, but we’re sure it was well-welcomed. In August 2013, Saudi officials passed a law that criminalized domestic violence against women. Anyone caught abusing will get a 12-month jail sentence and a fine of 50,000 riyals ($13,000).
Domestic Violence Against Women
Playing Sports
Water sports is popular in Saudi Arabia, and it makes sense with so much coastline. But besides for scuba diving, windsurfing and sailing, sports like basketball and soccer rank high on the favorites list.
Playing Sports
Soccer Squad
When it comes to ‘the beautiful game’, Saudi Arabia is a big fan, and has even graced the world stage on a number of occasions. One such notable occasion was the 1992 Confederations Cup when they faced Argentina in the final. Unfortunately for them, they lost 3-1.
Soccer Squad
Camel Races
In 1974 the annual King’s Camel Race kicked off and it has grown greatly since. The event doesn’t just draw in masses for viewing, it brings in hoards of people from around the world to both watch and participate.
Camel Races
Scuba Diving
The Red Sea has an incredibly rich coral ecosystem, making it a popular diving destination for scuba enthusiasts. The Red Sea boasts more than 1,200 fish species, of which 10% can’t be found anywhere else in the world.
Scuba Diving
Strong Winds
Trust me, you don’t want to be caught in a “shamal”. This wind that comes from the north can blow for days at a time and the wind can reach immense speeds of 50 miles per hour!
Strong Winds
Falcons For Sport
The joke is that it is an ancient sport that is still flying high… get it? Falconry is a traditional sport in Saudi Arabia and is still widely practiced.
Falcons For Sport
Shoe Soles Are Rude
Would you ever think that the sole of your shoe was gross? Yeah, I guess that makes sense, but in Saudi Arabia they take it a step further. Showing the sole of your shoe is considered to be very disrespectful.
Shoe Soles Are Rude
100,000 Tents
The city of 100,000 tents as it has become coined, is the city of Mina. All tents are fire-retardant and have fully-equipped kitchens and bathrooms. Let us not forget that each unit has air-conditioning too.
100,000 Tents
Other Exports
It comes as a surprise to many that Saudi Arabia doesn’t just export oil. The Saudis have also created an impressive manufacturing sector in concrete, steel, auto parts, and building materials.
Other Exports
