On the influence of Islam
Stores close if the merchants wish, administrations stop and the men settle down on the street or go to the mosque.
Men traditionally wear the thobe, a long white robe under which they wear short pants. They wear a red-and-white-checked shemagh, held in place with an agal. Women cover themselves with an abaya and wear the hijab, the Islamic veil. The niqab, the veil that covers the face, is not compulsory. Consumption of alcohol, pork or pornographic items is strictly prohibited. In fact, the whole society is governed by a simple rule, but one that opens the door to all kinds of interpretations: modesty.
The place of women
Crown Prince Mohammed Ben Salman, in power since 2017, is multiplying gestures in favor of women's rights. They now have the right to drive, can work and even choose to live alone. In recent years, there have been businesswomen, bank managers, waitresses and even policewomen. Although the feminization of the working world is still in its infancy, it does exist, and it is now estimated that 35% of women living in Saudi Arabia work. This liberalization is accompanied by moderate feminist activism.
The influence of urbanization
Saudi Arabia began its revolution in the 1950s. The kingdom grew considerably richer from the sale of its oil and modernized. Oases were transformed into cities, and the traditionally semi-nomadic population became sedentary. Today, almost 85% of the Saudi population lives in cities. This rapid transformation has considerably altered social relations. The car has replaced the dromedary, tents and adobe houses have given way to concrete buildings, and television has entered the home. Men occupy most of the public space, running shops, working in offices, building the country's future. Children grow up in front of the small screen, watching Arab cartoons and watered-down American films. Authorized leisure activities include (alcohol-free) cafés, shopping malls, children's playgrounds and a few men-only sporting events. Crown Prince Ben Salman, in his "Vision 2030" project to open up and modernize the country, is working to give young Saudis more leisure time. He has authorized the opening of cinemas and made it possible to attend mixed-gender concerts. He is pushing for the development of domestic tourism and is even planning to develop a ski resort in the Hedjaz mountains.
A fragmented society
Until the 2000s, poverty was thought to affect only people from immigrant backgrounds, and the subject was taboo. A visit by King Abdullah to Riyadh's slums in 2002 changed all that. He was shocked by the number of Saudis he came across sleeping rough. He ordered a strategy to combat poverty by increasing the social security budget and the number of social housing units. But without any real effect. Two-thirds of workers in the private sector earn less than the minimum needed for a family with 4 children. The tense situation in the Arab world led the government to redirect its budgetary efforts towards armaments in the 2010s. The absence of figures makes it difficult to assess the situation, but the high level of indebtedness (75% of Saudis have taken out a long-term consumer loan) means that not all Saudis are rolling in money.
