CULTURE
The cultural
setting is Arab and Muslim. To preserve the country's purist religious
position, many proscriptions of behaviour and dress are enforced.
Alcoholic beverages are prohibited, for example, and the theatre
and public cinema do not exist. Educated Saudis are well informed
on issues of the Arab world, the Muslim world, and the world at
large, but public expression of opinion about domestic matters
is not encouraged. There are no public forums such as political
parties or labour unions.
Some of
the largest libraries of Saudi Arabia are situated in Riyadh;
the King Saud University libraries contain 1.1 million volumes.
Collections of religious materials are housed in libraries in
Mecca and Medina. The Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography, which
was founded in Riyadh in 1978, features displays and exhibits
on a wide variety of topics.
Music
and dance have always been part of Saudi life. Visual arts are
dominated by geometric, floral, and abstract designs and by calligraphy,
the latter a sophisticated and learned enterprise. Not much diversity
is seen in traditional architecture; typical features are decorative
designs on doors and windows and wide use of crenellated walls.
The wave of change starting in the 1960s influenced architectural
styles, and stark linear motifs became common in office and residential
buildings. The spectacular airport terminals at Jiddah and Riyadh,
however, are testimony to the persistence and worth of traditional
styles.
