The Blog for Culture Vultures

Many assume the two Gulf countries are alike.

However, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are culturally, politically and socially different in many ways.

Saudi Arabia has a wealth of strategic opportunities, characterised by a favourable geographical position and an abundance of natural resources.

It has the potential to become the ‘next big thing’ in the Middle East and to build economic streams which are not oil dependent, as outlined in its ambitious ‘2030 Vision’.

Did you know that Saudi Arabia segregates people at restaurants according to gender?

Yes, it’s true, but the internet and media have been buzzing with news that the country has stopped the practice.

Be warned! Saudi Arabia is a confusing and contradictory place at the moment.

If you’re involved in doing business in Saudi Arabia, then you need to be aware of some of the current changes taking place at a cultural level.

Imagine that you’re presented with an unfamiliar board game and told to play it.

Unfortunately, you don’t understand the rules and irritate the other players by making mistakes and getting things wrong.

Are you new to doing business with the Middle East? Understanding the local culture is critical if you want to succeed.

In order to truly understand the locals, then you need to understand Islam and its influence on, not only the culture, but how business gets done.

Despite a history of limiting the visibility of women, the application of harsh gender laws have instead made them the most visible part of the Saudi identity.

As such, when many Westerners think of Saudi Arabia, niqab clad women without any rights, are one of the first images that come to mind.

Did you hear about the supermodel, the airport lounge and the cultural faux pas that caused uproar in Saudi Arabia and the UAE?

No? Well this is a great little example of culture gone wrong!

Saudi Arabia is on a mission to diversify its economy and reduce its reliance on oil revenue.

As part of this, they are looking to become a global tourist destination – something that their UAE neighbours, particularly, Dubai, have accomplished to great effect.

For those of you interested in the Saudi people and culture, Google Search Engine data is a great starting point.

By looking at what people in Saudi Arabia are searching for online, you can establish a good understanding of what’s important to the Saudi people and, from this, draw inferences about the culture and life in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia is on a mission.

Their ambitious 2030 Vision seeks to create an economy for the future based around trade and tourism.

Many expatriates relocating to Saudi Arabia are usually surprised to find that the date in Saudi Arabia is over 500 years behind that of dates in the West.

As we leave 2018 behind and enter 2019, it’s only 1440 in Saud Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has become an almost permanent fixture in Western news.

With the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the continued carnage in the Yemen which threatens to spiral into the worst global famine this generation, the spotlight placed on Saudi Arabia has been almost completely negative.

For many Western cultures, witches are an innocuous subject.

Long gone are the days where innocent women were dragged from their homes to be burned at the stake.

A word of warning for anyone travelling to Saudi Arabia - stay well away from any dabbing. The move could see you spending some time in jail.

Abdullah al-Shahrani, a Saudi entertainer, was recently detained by Saudi authorities after dabbing during a concert in the city of Taif.

Some recent news coverage focusing on Theresa May not wearing a headscarf on her business trip to Saudi Arabia has caused some major confusion over etiquette and protocol in the Kingdom.

Certain news outlets and media seemed to use terminology that suggested that the British PM May somehow 'refused' the idea of covering her hair.