The Biggest Culture Shock (Saudi Arabia)
One of our distinct uniqueness as humans living on earth is diversity. We are surrounded by people with different cultures and norms. For most Nigerians who travel out of the country often, cultural shock is not a new thing to them however, if you plan to travel to Saudi Arabia keep in mind that almost everything in Saudi Arabia is a culture shock.
All women are required to wear Abaya (black robes).
Women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to go out in public without wearing Abaya.
Gender segregation.
In offices, banks, hospitals, universities, and restaurants, there are separate departments for men and women everywhere. For women, this makes it easier to get their work done. Even at weddings, separate auditoriums for men and women are booked.
Young boys less than 18 years old driving
Although the legal driving age in Saudi Arabia is 18, it is common for boys around the age of nine and ten to drive. Since females were once prohibited from driving, parents allow boys to drive to help the women in the family out. Most of the time, traffic police would ignore the situation.
The way eating food served at weddings/parties
Eat with your hands, not with a spoon. Eating with your hands is common in India, but eating without a spoon or plate is a bit new to me. At parties, they prefer to eat in groups. The food is placed on a large plate and they gather in a circle to enjoy the food.
Bring fries and cold drinks to every meal.
I never thought about serving fries for breakfast as well as soft drinks, whatever food you buy comes with fries and soft drinks.
They like to add a lot of sugar to every sweet thing. If you order tea, you have to ask for less sugar or you won’t be able to finish it at all.
All stores, offices, and businesses will close for prayer.
Five times a day, all stores and offices close at prayer time. So we have to plan accordingly when we shop or do any official work. That’s why most people go out after the last prayer around 9 p.m.: malls and stores are open until 2 a.m.