Saudi Arabia CultureSaudi Arabia Culture
In 2019, Saudi Arabia adopted a general tourism travel visa to allow non-Muslims to visit. Although most tourism largely involves religious pilgrimages, there is growth in the leisure tourism sector. According to the World Bank, approximately 14.3 million people visited Saudi Arabia in 2012, making it the world's 19th-most-visited country. Tourism is an important component of the Saudi Vision 2030, and according to a report conducted by BMI Research in 2018 both religious and non-religious tourism have significant potential for expansion. The kingdom offers an electronic visa for foreign visitors to attend sports events and concerts. In 2019, the kingdom announced its plans to open visa applications for visitors, where people from about 50 countries would be able to get tourist visas to Saudi. In 2020 it was announced that holders of a US, UK or Schengen visa are eligible for a Saudi electronic visa upon arrival. Saudi Arabia Religion in Society Religion is a core aspect of everyday life in Saudi Arabia, it plays a dominant role in the country's governance and legal system, and deeply influences culture and daily life, although the power of the religious establishment has been significantly eroded in the 2010s. The Hejaz region, where the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina are located, is the destination of the Ḥajj pilgrimage, and often deemed to be the cradle of Islam. Islam is the state religion of Saudi Arabia. There is no law that requires all citizens to be Muslim, but non-Muslims and many foreign and Saudi Muslims whose beliefs are deemed not to conform with the government's interpretation of Islam must practice their religion in private and are vulnerable to discrimination, harassment, detention, and, for foreigners, deportation. Neither Saudi citizens nor guest workers have the right of freedom of religion. The dominant form of Islam in the kingdom, Wahhabism, arose in the central region of Najd, in the 18th century. Proponents call the movement "Salafism", and believe that its teachings purify the practice of Islam of innovations or practices that deviate from the seventh-century teachings of Muhammad and his companions. The Saudi government has often been viewed as an active oppressor of Shia Muslims because of the funding of the Wahhabi ideology which denounces the Shia faith. Prince Bandar bin Sultan, Saudi ambassador to the United States, stated: "The time is not far off in the Middle East when it will be literally 'God help the Shia'. More than a billion Sunnis have simply had enough of them." Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries that have "religious police" (known as Haia or Mutaween), who patrol the streets "enjoining good and forbidding wrong" by enforcing dress codes, strict separation of men and women, attendance at prayer (salat) five times each day, the ban on alcohol, and other aspects of Sharia. However, since 2016 the power of religious police was curbed, which barred them from pursuing, questioning, requesting identification or arresting suspects. In the privacy of homes, behaviour can be far looser, and reports from WikiLeaks indicate that low ranked members of the ruling Saudi Royal family indulge in parties with alcohol, drugs, and prostitutes. Saudi Arabia Cuisine Saudi Arabian cuisine is similar to that of the surrounding countries in the Arabian Peninsula and the wider Arab world, and has influenced and been influenced by Turkish, Indian, Persian, and African food. Islamic dietary laws are enforced: pork is not allowed, and other animals are slaughtered in accordance with halal. Kebabs and falafel are popular, as is shawarma, a marinated grilled meat dish of lamb, mutton, or chicken. Kabsa, a rice dish with lamb, chicken, fish or shrimp, is among the national dishes as is mandi. Flat, unleavened taboon bread is a staple of virtually every meal, as are dates, fresh fruit, yoghurt, and hummus. Coffee, served in the Arabic style, is the traditional beverage, but tea and various fruit juices are popular as well. The earliest substantiated evidence of either coffee drinking or knowledge of the coffee tree is from the 15th century, in the Sufi monasteries of Arabia. Saudi Arabia Overview Saudi Arabia Motto: لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰه، مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُوْلُ ٱللَّٰه Lā ilāha illa llāh, Muḥammadun rasūlu llāh "There is no god but God, Muhammad is the Messenger of God" (shahada) Saudi Arabia Anthem: ٱلنَّشِيْد ٱلْوَطَنِي ٱلسُّعُوْدِي "an-Našīd al-Waṭanīy as-Saʿūdī" "Chant of the Saudi Nation" Saudi Arabia Capital and Largest City: Riyadh 24°39′N 46°46′E Saudi Arabia Official Languages: Arabic Ethnic Groups: 90% Arab 10% Afro-Arab Saudi Arabia Religion: 93.0% Islam 85–90% Sunni (official) 10–15% Shia 4.4% Christianity 1.1% Hinduism 0.7% unaffiliated 0.3% Buddhism Saudi Arabia Demonym(s): Saudi Saudi Arabian Saudi Arabia Government: Unitary Islamic Absolute Monarchy King Salman Saudi Arabia Crown Prince and Prime Minister: Mohammed bin Salman Saudi Arabia Establishment: Emirate of Diriyah 1727 Emirate of Nejd 1824 Emirate of Riyadh 13 January 1902 Saudi Arabia Unification: 23 September 1932 Saudi Arabia Admitted to the United Nations: 24 October 1945 Saudi Arabia Current Constitution: 31 January 1992 Saudi Arabia Area: Total 2,149,690 km2 (830,000 sq mi) Saudi Arabia Water (%): 0.0 Saudi Arabia Population: Neutral increase 32,175,224 Saudi Arabia Currency: Saudi riyal (SR)(SAR) Saudi Arabia Time Zone: UTC+3 (AST) Saudi Arabia Date Format: dd/mm/yyyy (AH) Saudi Arabia Driving Side: right Calling Code: +966 Saudi Arabia ISO 3166 code: SA Saudi Arabia Internet TLD: .sa السعودية. | |||||
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