Socio Cultural Environment of Saudi Arabia

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Population

According to the April 2010 Census, Saudi Arabia’s population was 27,136,977 as at that year. It is now estimated that the population could be close to 27,500,000 at present. This population comprises of about 18,707,576 Saudi nationals; those who are not citizens of the country are about 8,429,401. The population has a rapid growth with youths accounting for the majority of the population (Lippman 6).

Education

The education system in Saudi Arabia is exclusively managed by the Ministry of Education assisted by the Ministry of Higher Education. The system comprises about 25,000 schools, 24 public universities and about 8 private ones. Every Saudi citizen is entitled to free education and other educational amenities (Lippman 126).

Language

In Saudi Arabia, Arabic is considered the official language and is used in most of the places including schools and other social places. English is taken as a compulsory second language in schools and it is used mostly in companies, hotels and in schools where it is taught (Zuhur 246).

Aesthetics

Most of the Saudis dress in a traditional fashion to preserve their customary values. Some things such as alcoholic drinks are prohibited as they go against the religious teachings. Public exhibitions are considered unacceptable as far as domestic matters are concerned (Zirinski 129).

Religion

Saudi Arabia is regarded as an Islamic theocratic dominion in which Islam is the only official religion. Almost all Saudi citizens are Muslims and the only exceptions are passport holders. The other major religions in the country include Christianity and Hinduism, which are mainly practiced by non-Saudi citizens (Zuhur 18).

Technology

Technology in Saudi Arabia is managed by Communications and Information Technology Commission. It regulates and hosts a firewall, which determines what is contained on the websites that are accessible in the country. Currently, Saudi Arabia is one of the Asian countries that have recorded significant developments in technology (Zirinski 131).

Political Discourse

Political discourse in Saudi Arabia manipulates devout Muslims to comply with the authorities by showing absolute obedience to their rulers. Saudi Arabia’s political discourse prohibits citizens from criticizing their leaders in public. It is a criminal offence to be found making public criticisms about a ruler (Kamrava 341).

Social Organizations

Saudi’s population has always consisted of nomads, villagers and a small number of townspeople. Kinship model is considered pervasive in the country with a lot importance given to the extended family as a unit of social organization (Kamrava 342).

Values and Attitudes

Arabs in Saudi Arabia believe that their dignity and honour are everything and should be well preserved. They also believe that people should be loyal to their families and that someone’s social class and family background determine their positions in the society. Their leading attitude is that everyone should believe in God to have a religious attachment (Zuhur 200).

Comparing Hofstede’s Dimensions of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates

Hofstede’s dimensions measure how low class individuals in organizations, institutions, and society at large accept and expect resources to be distributed equally to every member of the society. The dimensions assert that the level of equality in a society is mainly determined by the common citizens rather than the leaders.

Saudi Arabia has a higher score of the Hofstede’s dimensions as compared to the United Arab Emirates. The high scores of Saudi Arabia indicate that the there is a large gap between the rich people and the poor ones. The low scores of United Emirates show that the region has as many wealthy people as the poor ones (Barnes 320).

Works Cited

Barnes, David. Operations Management: An International Perspective. London: Thomson Learning, 2008. Print.

Kamrava, Mehran. The Nodern Middle East: A political History Since the First World War. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2010. Print.

Lippman, Thomas. Saudi Arabia on the Edge: The Uncertain Future of an American Ally. Washington, DC: Potomac Books, 2012. Print.

Zirinski, Roni. Ad Hoc Arabism: Advertising, Culture, and Technology in Saudi Arabia. New York, NY: Lang, 2005. Print.

Zuhur, Sherifa. Saudi Arabia. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2011. Print.

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