Cultural Diversity in Saudi Arabia Today many countries are losing cultural diversity.

Countries are slowly drifting away from the cultures that have long been tradition and culturally expected and accepted. Cultural diversity is what defines a country, what makes it unique. Cultural diversity exists if a group of people with different sets of beliefs, customs, and behavioral norms share a space (Zakiyyah). Some things that define a culture are the language spoken, race and ethnicity, religion, and moral codes. It is tragic when a country begins to lose its cultural diversity and Saudi Arabia has been fortunate to retain and even enhance its culture. The culture of Saudi Arabia is strongly based on Islam and features many elements from historical ritual and folk culture. The rich Saudi culture has been shaped by its Islamic heritage. Saudi society have taken their values and traditions, their customs, hospitality, and even their style of dress, and brought them to the modern world. Saudi traditions are rooted in Islamic teachings and Arab customs, which Saudis learn about at an early age from their families and in schools. The main aspects of Saudi culture are tied to religion and the highlights of the year are the holy month of Ramadan and the Hajj (pilgrimage) season, and the national holidays that follow them (Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia). Arab traditions also play an important role in Saudi life. These age-old traditions have evolved over the millennia and are highly regarded. They include generosity and hospitality, which every Saudi family offers to strangers, friends, and family (Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia). For example, the simplest expression of hospitality is coffee, its preparation alone is an intricate cultural tradition, and it is often served in small cups along with dates and sweets. The clothing of Saudi people is another large part of their culture. The Saudi women wear diverse

traditional clothes and they conceal rather than reveal. The Saudi women wear black cloaks that cover their clothes, reflecting the Saudi womans identity. Men wear a full-length, loose garment with long sleeve called a Thawb (Saudi Tourism). Although traditional clothing may have been slightly influenced by modernity and development in different parts of the country, they still preserve their ancient Arabian descriptions. Saudi Arabia is extremely culturally diverse compared to a country like the United States or Canada. A woman in a hijab is not a common sight in America, whereas it is the norm in Saudi Arabia and a woman without a hijab would be stared at. However, cultural diversity doesnt really exist within the country of Saudi Arabia because 100% of the population is Muslim so all the people have basically the same culture. According to the British National Party, the Saudi Arabian government, or any Arab or Muslim state, would not even allow diversity or the replacement of their culture and populations. Saudi Arabians are strongly rooted in their culture and they are not welcome to other cultures. In this respect, Saudi people are truly preserving their culture by not letting any other cultures interfere. In a time when many countries are losing their cultural diversity, Saudi Arabians have done an excellent job of preserving their culture. In Saudi Arabia, culture and religion go hand in hand. Since the entire population of Saudi Arabia is, culture means a lot to Saudi people and they are not about to let their culture die away. Cultural diversity in Saudi Arabia is not in danger.

Works Cited: British National Party. (n.d.) Why Does Saudi Arabia Not Welcome Diversity? British National Party. Retrieved from https://www.bnp.org.uk/news/why-does-saudi-arabia-not-welcomediversity Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia. (2013). Culture and Art. Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia. Retrieved from http://www.saudiembassy.net/about/country-information/culture_art/ Saudi Tourism. (2013). The Saudi Culture. Saudi Tourism. Retrieved from http://sauditourism.sa/en/About/Pages/c-heritage.aspx Zakiyyah, U. (2011). Cultural Diversity in KSA: Reality or Illusion? Saudi Life. Retrieved from http://www.saudilife.net/life-and-society/92-life-and-society/15980-cultural-diversity-in-ksareality-or-illusion