China, the world's largest oil importer, is completing preparations to launch yuan-denominated oil futures on the Shanghai Exchange. It is assumed that the exchange trading in futures will begin this year. Reported by Reuters. This is, to put it mildly, an important event.
Oil and oil derivatives are currently traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange, London Petroleum Exchange and Dubai Mercantile Exchange. All 3 exchanges belong to one group - CME group. Plus there is also the ICE exchange, which also trades in oil futures. I think that the owners of ICE and CME are the same. These trading floors manipulate the price of oil as they want - if they want oil, it will cost $ 200, or vice versa, $ 30. If a country - an oil exporter wants to organize its own oil exchange, then the same thing will happen to it as happened to Iran. Therefore, no other country in the world has an oil exchange. In 2005, Iran decided to create an oil exchange, but the UN Security Council suddenly imposed sanctions against Iran and banned all other countries from buying oil from Iran. Coincidentally.
For the reason stated above, the organization of oil futures trading in China is an event of exceptional importance. But there is another reason why this is important. The fact is that the Chinese have already organized trading in gold futures denominated in yuan (from April 2016 in Shanghai and from July 2017 in Hong Kong), and now also trading in oil futures denominated in yuan. This means 2 fundamental things:
[b] 1. Now the price of oil will appear in yuan and, accordingly, it will be possible to conclude oil contracts in yuan.
[b] 2. Now a company selling oil or other goods for yuan under a long-term contract will be able to buy gold futures for the amount that it will receive from the sale of oil (or goods) simultaneously with the conclusion of the contract. Those. it turns out that the yuan is backed by gold.
Until now, there has been only one country that has thus helped to protect trade proceeds from currency fluctuations - the United States. Now there will be two such countries. But China will have an edge. The fact is that in New York (London) it is impossible to buy physical gold, only gold futures, which, generally speaking, are not the same thing. And on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, you can buy physical gold. It is in order to organize a liquid market for physical gold that China has been buying up gold in horse volumes in recent years. China now has 20,000 tons of gold (see chart).
For comparison, the USA has 8000 tons, Germany has 3400 tons.
In other words, in the coming years, when the exchange trading in oil and gold in Shanghai is fully operational, for the first time since 1971 a gold-backed currency, the yuan, will appear in the world. The yuan will not be tied to gold (as the dollar was in its time), but it will be backed by it. Those. any trading partner of China will be able to purchase physical gold at the exchange price in yuan. This is what the new gold standard will look like.
Oil exchange trading in China changes everything in general. The world will never be the same again. Exporters of oil (gas) will be able to partially convert their gold and foreign exchange reserves into yuan. Most likely, Russia, Venezuela, Qatar, Angola will do so. Iran has already done so. The Saudis are also not going anywhere if they want China to buy their oil. As we wrote in a previous post, China is harshly forcing the Saudis to convert oil contracts to yuan. When this happens (and it will), there will be no point in exchanging yuan for dollars for the Saudis. They will keep them in the bins in the form of yuan.
I think that in the next 10-15 years, a significant part of world trade will be converted into yuan. The Chinese plan to organize exchange trading in yuan not only for oil, but also for gas, copper and other non-ferrous metals. It will be much more convenient to nominate trade contracts in yuan than in dollars because the US has a weak trade balance, while China has a strong one. In general, China has a larger and more diversified economy.
In general, now you can forget not only about the US dollar, but also about the US itself. Because the main export item for the United States is dollars. Tomorrow they will not be needed by anyone in the same volume as today, and the hole in the US balance of payments will collapse. This will not lead to a collapse of the economy, but the dollar will fall in price by 25%. We wrote about this in detail here. Accordingly, prices for all industrial goods in the United States will rise by 25% and the population will not be delighted. The United States has already entered a long-term period of political instability and further the situation will only deteriorate.
Will the US lose the ability to print dollars? No, they will not lose, but they will not print either. Actually, they no longer print them. Will the United States lose the ability to build up national debt? No, they won't, but only residents and the Federal Reserve will buy it (the debt). Foreigners will not be very interested in US Treasury bonds.
The world is changing right before our eyes. China (with our help) is driving the final nail into the coffin of the global financial system. A completely new world order is being born. The United States is giving way to a new world leader, China, just as Britain gave way to the United States as global leader 100 years ago. (Great Britain itself, by the way, is moving into the category of leaders not of the second, but of the third plan). The United States remains to thank for decades of global leadership and retire. We have only one enemy left - Germany. But this enemy is decrepit and no longer dangerous.
Saudi Arabia, the map of which is presented below, is a country in southwestern Asia, occupying about 80% of the area.The origin of its name is associated with the royal family of Saud, which founded the state and continues to be in power to this day.
general description
Saudi Arabia's area is 2.15 million square kilometers. The state borders on Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, UAE, Qatar, Yemen and Oman. In addition, it is washed by the waters of the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. Its capital is Riyadh, which is home to more than five million people. Other major cities in Saudi Arabia are Jeddah, Mecca and Medina. Their population exceeds the one million mark.
Political structure
In March 1992, the first documents were adopted, regulating the state and the basic principles of its administration. Based on them, the country of Saudi Arabia is a theocratic absolute monarchy. Its constitution is based on the Koran. The Saudi dynasty has been in power since 1932. The king has full legislative, executive and judicial powers. Its powers are only theoretically limited by local traditions and Sharia norms. The government has been functioning in its current form since 1953. It is headed by a king who determines the main directions of its activities. There is also a Council of Ministers in the country, which is entrusted with not only executive, but also legislative functions. All decisions made by this authority are approved by decree of the king of the country of Saudi Arabia. The population of the state is obliged to comply with them. Administratively, the country is divided into thirteen provinces.
Economy
The local economy is based on free private enterprise. At the same time, one cannot fail to note the fact that control over the key ones is exercised by the government. The state boasts the largest oil reserves on the planet. It accounts for about 75% of his income. In addition, Saudi Arabia is the world leader in the export of black gold and plays a leading role in OPEC. The country also has reserves of zinc, chromium, lead, copper and
Population
The first census of local residents was carried out in 1974. From that time to the present day, the population of Saudi Arabia has almost tripled. Now the country is home to almost 30 million people. The overwhelming majority of local residents are Arabs, a significant part of whom retained a tribal organization. Now there are more than 100 tribal associations and tribes in the country. It should be noted that foreign workers account for about one fifth of the population. Based on the official UN statistics, as of 1970, the infant mortality rate in the country was 204 babies for every thousand newborns. Now there has been a significant positive shift in this indicator. In particular, due to the improvement in the standard of living and medical care in the state, out of a thousand newborns, only 19 children die.
Language
Arabic is the official language in a country like Saudi Arabia. The population in everyday life uses mainly the Arabian dialect, which comes from El-Fushi. Within it, several dialects stand out at once, close to each other. At the same time, city dwellers and descendants of nomads speak differently. Literary and spoken languages have minor differences between themselves. In a religious context, mainly the classical Arabic dialect is used. Common languages among immigrants from other countries are English, Indonesian, Urdu, Tagalog, Farsi and others.
Religion
It is Saudi Arabia that is considered the center of the Islamic world. The population of the country practically in its entirety professes this particular religion. According to various estimates, up to 93% of local residents are Sunnis. The rest of the representatives of Islam are mainly Shiites. As for other religions, approximately 3% of the country's inhabitants are Christians, and 0.4% are other confessions.
Education
Although higher education in the country is free, it is not compulsory. A good job and a comfortable life in Saudi Arabia are possible without him. Be that as it may, a number of programs are operating here, the main goal of which is to reduce the level of illiteracy of local residents. Currently, there are 7 universities and 16 higher educational institutions in the country. All of them are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Higher Education. Approximately 30 thousand students study abroad every year. In the past few decades, the government has significantly increased spending on education. At the same time, the state needs a general reform in this area, which should form a new balance between modern and traditional teaching methods.
Medicine
Saudi Arabia is one of the most advanced countries in the world in terms of medicine. The population of the state has the right to receive services related to it free of charge. This applies to both residents of megacities and representatives of Bedouin tribes who roam the desert. Every year, the government allocates about 8% of the local budget for health care, which is simply a gigantic amount. Compulsory immunization of newborns is enshrined at the legislative level. The system of epidemiological control, which was created in 1986, made it possible to completely defeat and eliminate such terrible diseases as plague and cholera.
Demographic problems
According to research by scientists, if the current number of inhabitants in the country will remain (over the past 30 years, they have been about 4% of the population per year), then by 2050 the population of Saudi Arabia will reach 45 million. In other words, very soon the country's leadership will have to solve the problem associated not only with providing citizens with jobs, but also with ensuring a decent old age for the now working Saudis. This task is not so easy even for a state with such impressive oil reserves. The emergence of such problems is associated, first of all, with positive shifts in the spheres of food and medical services, as well as with the improvement of living conditions in the country.
Capital: Riyadh.
Area: 2 149 690 sq. km.
Population: 26 939 583 people.
Official language: Arabic.
Official currency: Saudi riyal.
Saudi Arabia is one of the most "closed" countries in the world. To visit it, you will have to fulfill a number of conditions and rules. But those who at least once saw its endless deserts and felt the influence of local culture will hardly regret being there ...
Saudi Arabia occupies about 80% of the Arabian Peninsula - the largest in the world. In the north and northeast, it borders Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait, in the east - with Qatar and the UAE, and in the south - with Oman and Yemen. With the island state of Bahrain, which is located in the waters of the Persian Gulf, Saudi Arabia is connected by a huge King Fahd Bridge. It sits entirely on piles driven into the bottom of the bay.
On the political map between Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman, the border is drawn not by a solid line, as is usually done, but by an intermittent one, because this border is conditional. It runs through the desert and is not marked on the ground. Because of this, the area of the country is always indicated approximately.
The inhabitants of the country are Muslims. They live according to the laws of Sharia (Islamic law), which will seem very strict to foreigners. For example, in Saudi Arabia, public entertainments (theaters, cinemas, etc.), rallies and parades are prohibited, there are no holidays except religious ones, pets are prohibited, and a hand is cut off for theft ...
Celebrating New Year and Christmas in Saudi Arabia is banned. These are Christian holidays, for which the punishment is imposed.
Saudi Arabia is an absolute theocratic monarchy. This means that the power in the country (both secular and spiritual) belongs to the king and is not limited by anyone else. The role of the constitution in the state is performed by the holy book of Muslims - the Koran.
King Abdullah Ibn Abdel Aziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia is one of the richest rulers in the world. His fortune is $ 63 billion.
At the beginning of the 20th century. Saudi Arabia was one of the poorest countries in the world, now it is one of the richest. Oil helped the Saudis to get rich, huge deposits of which were found on the territory of the country. Thanks to "black gold" over the past 20 years, Saudi Arabia has turned from a backward medieval state into a modern developed state.
Saudi Arabia is the world leader in oil production.
Gasoline in Saudi Arabia costs several times cheaper than water, and not because there is little of it in the desert, but because there is a lot of oil from which it is obtained.
They say that in Saudi Arabia, men own everything and women own nothing. The woman has few rights here. She can only go outside accompanied by a man, even if he is only 6 years old! She is forbidden to drive or work. In the country, even shops are divided into women and men.
Desert garden
Go out of town - and find yourself ... in the desert. Yes, this is possible not only in imagination, but also in reality. The capital of Saudi Arabia - Riyadh - is surrounded by deserts. Walk quite a bit - and the city streets give way to endless hot sands. 
The life of Riyadh is divided into two periods: before the discovery of oil fields and after. When black gold was found in the country, the Saudi king spared no expense to rebuild the main city. He invited the best engineers, designers, who created an oasis called Riyadh (translated from Arabic, this means "garden".)
You can find out how Riyadh looked like in the past by walking through the central part of the city - al-Bataa. A quarter with narrow streets and low adobe houses is still preserved here.
At first glance, it seems that no one lives in them anymore. But satellite "dishes" on the roofs will tell you that this is not the case.
Riyadh is famous for its camel market, which attracts buyers and sellers from all over the Middle East. The price of a "desert ship" here reaches tens of thousands of dollars!
Riyadh is a city of mosques. There are more than 150 of them here, and each is not like the others!
The capital of Saudi Arabia is considered one of the hottest cities in the world. In summer, the air temperature rises to +45 ° C! It almost never rains here. Despite this, the city is recognized as the greenest capital in the Middle East. This unusual fact is explained by the fact that Riyadh lies in a small but fertile lowland.
Modern Riyadh is a city with wide streets and glass skyscrapers, among which there are very interesting buildings. For example, the Kingdom Center is the tallest building in Saudi Arabia. The height of the skyscraper is 311 m, it has 99 floors! Because of its appearance, the locals nicknamed it "opener".
In the future, an unusual metro station should appear in Riyadh. It will be built in the form of a huge bowl with a large hole on top. Through it, the sun's rays will fall deep into the station and illuminate it. Thus, the Saudis are planning to use a natural light source.
The old capital of Saudi Arabia, Diraya, is located 20 km from Riyadh. Once this city was very rich, trade routes passed through it, but then it was destroyed. Only a few palaces and mosques remained from it. Archaeological excavations are being actively carried out in the city.
Saudi Arabia is very fond of football. The national team of this country has become the champion of Asia more than once. King Fahd Stadium is one of the most remarkable buildings in the capital: it was built in the form of an Arab tent.
In an ocean of sand
On the physical map of the world, Saudi Arabia is colored yellow. This means that the territory of the country is occupied by deserts. 
The largest of the Saudi deserts is Rub al-Khali. Translated from Arabic, it means "empty quarter". Only the desert, contrary to its name, occupies not a quarter of the country, but its entire third! Rub al-Khali is a boundless sea of hot sand, which is constantly moving thanks to the wind. The height of sand waves (dunes) can reach 250 m, and this is the height of a nine-story building! The sands of this desert are legendary. They say that they buried more than one caravan.
And once the whole city - Ubar - drowned in a sand stream. It was a large shopping center where many wealthy people lived. But wealth made them greedy and angry. There was a city, it was, and it swam ... As if it disappeared forever in the desert ...
In the north of Saudi Arabia lies the "sister" of Rub al-Khali - the Great Nefud Desert. She is called the most beautiful in the world. The surface of this desert is bright red in the morning and white in the evening. She is transformed due to the fact that her grains of sand contain a lot of iron and change color depending on the lighting. This is the hottest and most stuffy place on earth. During the day, the temperature in the desert rises to 60 degrees, and the sand warms up to 70! There is life here only in oases where the “bread of the desert” - dates - grows.
Fantastic phenomena can be observed in the desert, such as stone roses. Fancy flowers are created underground over the years. They consist of gypsum and sand, and are obtained due to the strong evaporation of water. Over time, thanks to the wind, they end up on the surface. These stone flowers are considered a trophy. They are hunted by fossil gatherers. One such desert flower costs thousands of euros!
The King of Saudi Arabia regularly conducts prayers for rain. This ritual is one of the traditions of Saudi Arabia. It was started by the prophet Muhammad himself.
The east and west of Saudi Arabia are different. The climate on the Red Sea coast is more favorable for life. The mountains of Hejaz and Asir stretch here, where the highest point of the country is located - the city of Nabi-Shuayb (3353 m). They prevent the penetration of heated air from the center of Arabia and serve as a sand barrier. It is very hot on the east coast and the humidity is so high that a wet handkerchief hung out in the sun does not dry out for a long time.
Baboon monkeys literally attack the Saudis. In the mountains, because of the heat, they have nothing to eat, so they move closer to people. Baboons run freely through the streets of Saudi cities and rob local residents: they climb into houses or cars and steal vegetables and fruits.
In the summer, the inhabitants of Saudi Arabia, like the Belarusians, go to the south of the Arabian Peninsula. Only we strive for warmth, and the Saudis strive for coolness, because on the southern coast it is not as hot as in the center or in the north of Arabia.
In winter, the wind rises over the Arabian Peninsula, causing strong sandstorms. Clouds of sand and dust cover most of Saudi Arabia's localities. In cities, car traffic is closed, children do not go to school, life freezes. Everyone is trying to sit out this period at home.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, whose population dates back to the second millennium BC (it was then that indigenous Arab tribes occupied the entire Arabian Peninsula), today is the main member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. The state ranks second in the world in the production and export of oil and oil products. In addition, referring to Mecca and Medina - the main holy cities of Islam - Saudi Arabia is called the Land of Two Shrines. It is the rich deposits of black gold and the penetration of religion into many spheres of life that distinguish the kingdom.
General information about Saudi Arabia
The state from where Islam spread occupies about 80% of the territory of the Arabian Peninsula. Most of the country is occupied by desert areas, foothills and mountains of medium height, so less than 1% of the land is suitable for cultivation. The Arabian Peninsula is one of the few places on Earth where the air temperature constantly exceeds 50 degrees during the summer.
The capital of Saudi Arabia is Riyadh. Other major cities are Jeddah, Mecca, Medina, Em-Dammam, El-Khufuf. There are a total of 27 settlements with a population of more than 100 thousand people, and there are four millionaire cities. The capital of Saudi Arabia is traditionally not only the administrative, but also the political, scientific, educational and business center of the country. Religious and cultural centers, shrines of the state - Mecca and Medina.
The official symbols are the Saudi Arabian flag, coat of arms and anthem. The flag is a green cloth with a sword, symbolizing the victories of the founder of the state, and an inscription - the Muslim creed (shahada). Interestingly, the flag of Saudi Arabia is never at half-mast on the occasion of mourning. Also, the image cannot be applied to clothing and souvenirs, since the shahada is considered sacred for Muslims.
The king of Saudi Arabia, who today rules the state, is a direct descendant of the first king, Abdel Aziz. The power of Salman ibn Abdul-Aziz Al Saud of the Saudi dynasty is actually limited only by Sharia law. Important government decisions are made by the king in consultation with a group of religious leaders and other respected members of Saudi society.
Current demographic situation
The population of Saudi Arabia as of 2014 was 27.3 million people. About 30% of them are newcomers, while the indigenous population are Saudi Arabs. After a brief stabilization of demographics in 2000 at around 20 million people, the population of Saudi Arabia began to grow again. In general, in the dynamics of the kingdom's population, there are no sharp jumps in the population.
Other relevant demographics for Saudi Arabia are:
- birth rate - 18.8 per 1000 people;
- mortality - 3.3 per 1000 people;
- the general fertility rate is 2.2 children per woman;
- natural population growth - 15.1;
- migration growth of the population - 5.1 per 1000 people.
Density of inhabitants and nature of settlement
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia covers an area of 2,149,610 square kilometers. In terms of territory, the state is 12th in the world and the first among the countries of the Arabian Peninsula. These data, as well as an approximate estimate of the population for 2015, allow us to calculate the value of population density. The figure is 12 people per square kilometer.
Most of the Saudi Arabians are concentrated in cities. Firstly, the relief and climate of the Arabian Peninsula make it possible to live comfortably only within the oases, around which the largest cities of the state were once formed. Secondly, a significant proportion of the urban population is due to the structure of the economy, where agriculture occupies an extremely small part, due to the meager percentage of land suitable for growing plants and raising livestock.
The urbanization rate in the kingdom is 82.3%, and the corresponding ratio is 2.4% per year. The capital of Saudi Arabia is home to over five million people. The total population of the remaining three millionaire cities is an additional six million Saudis. Thus, the four largest cities of the kingdom are home to eleven million people out of 31.5 (estimated for 2015), which is approximately 35% of the country's inhabitants.
Religious affiliation of the population
Saudi Arabia, whose population is highly religious, is officially an Islamic state. Islam as a state religion is enshrined in the first article of the Basic Law of the state. Muslims are 92.8% of the population of Saudi Arabia. By the way, tourists who do not profess Islam are prohibited from entering Mecca and Medina.
The second largest religion in the kingdom is Christianity. The number of Christians is about 1.2 million, the majority of whom are foreigners. Quite often, cases of oppression of adherents of other religions (not Muslims) are recorded in the country - Saudi Arabia is in sixth place among states where the rights of Christians are most often oppressed.
Atheism in the kingdom is considered a grave sin and is equated with terrorism, so it is impossible to estimate the exact number of non-believers in the country. The American Institute of Public Opinion, based on surveys, cites the following data: 5% of Saudis are convinced atheists, about 19% call themselves non-believers. Specialized publications publish smaller numbers, indicating only 0.7% in the column “atheists and non-believers”.
Age and sex structure of the population
The Saudi Arabian Accident, whose population is mostly of working age, is characterized by a progressive (or growing) type of age and sex pyramid. This is better seen in a simplified diagram, where only three categories of citizens are distinguished: children and adolescents (up to the full 14 years old), the working-age population (from 15 to 65 years old) and the elderly (over 65 years old).
The working-age population is about 22 million, accounting for 67.6% of the total Saudis. There are 9.6 million children and adolescents in the state, or 29.4%, the share of elderly people is only 3%, this group is 0.9 million people. In general, the dependent part of citizens (children and pensioners who are supported by the adult population) accounts for 32.4% of the Saudis. Such indicators do not form a particularly significant social burden on society.
Saudi Arabia, whose population traditionally oppresses the fair sex, has an almost equal gender structure of the population. There are 55% of men and 45% of women in the country.
Women's rights in Saudi Arabia
Women's rights are severely restricted in a country like Saudi Arabia. The population is deeply religious, so they follow all religious norms. For example, women are prohibited from driving a car, voting, using public transport unaccompanied by a husband or male relative, or communicating with men (with the exception of relatives and husbands). The fair sex is required to wear long dark robes, and in some regions it is allowed to leave only the eyes open.
The quality of education for women in Saudi Arabia is worse than for men. In addition, female students receive less scholarships than their male peers. And in general, the fair sex does not have the right to study, work or travel outside the country, if they are not allowed by their husband or close male relative. Even for rape in Saudi Arabia, a woman can be punished, not a criminal. In this case, the victim is charged with "provocation to rape" or violation of the dress code.
Saudi Arabia, whose population gives the main prerogative to men, adheres to the principles of sexual segregation. So, for example, houses have separate entrances for women and men, restaurants are divided into several zones (women, men and family), festive events are held with separation, and studies for students of different genders are held at different times so that boys and girls do not intersect ...
The King of Saudi Arabia has repeatedly announced the imminent empowerment of women. For example, he said that he would allow women to drive as soon as Saudi society was ready for this step. Of course, equal rights for women and men in Saudi society will have to wait for a long time (and this simply contradicts the norms of Islam), but there are already some indulgences in relation to the fair sex.
Kingdom literacy rate
Saudi Arabia, whose population is quite literate (94.4% of citizens over 15 years old can read and write), has different literacy rates for women and men. Thus, 97% of men and 91% of women can read and write, which is associated with the traditional oppression of the rights of the fair sex. However, among young people (from 15 to 24 years old), literacy rates are about the same: in Saudi Arabia, 99.4% and 99.3% of literate young people and girls, respectively.
Culture in Saudi Arabia
The culture of the kingdom is very closely related to the state religion. Muslims are forbidden to consume pork and alcohol, so mass festivities are practically excluded. In addition, cinemas and theaters are prohibited in the country, but such establishments are available in areas populated primarily by foreigners. Home viewing is very common in Saudi Arabia, and Western films are virtually uncensored.
The structure of the state economy
The country has 25% of the world's oil reserves, which determines the backbone of the economy of a state like Saudi Arabia. Oil provides almost all export earnings (90%). In the past thirty years, industry, transport, trade have also developed, while the share of agriculture in the economy is very small.
The currency of Saudi Arabia is the Saudi rial. The currency exchange rate is pegged to the US dollar at a ratio of 3.75 to 1. In conclusion, information for tourists on how the currency of Saudi Arabia is converted in terms of the currencies of other countries: 100 rials is 1,500 rubles, 25 euros, 26.6 dollars United States of America.
FinN writes (pictured): I wanted to write 100 facts about Saudi Arabia, one of the most closed countries in the world. I do not pretend to be the truth of the last resort, which I encountered, I wrote about it.
First, do you know why Arabia is Saudi? The name came from the Saudi dynasty, which fought with the Rashidi dynasty (and if they won, it would be called Rashidov Arabia, but in the end the Saudis won) and since then the country has been called the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Well, from the name it is clear that the king rules in this country. Just the other day, the old 90-year-old king passed away and his 79-year-old brother ascended the throne.
The new king, by the way, as he ascended the throne, distributed money to the Saudis. Without DmozDmezBottom. All civil servants, pensioners and students received two salaries / pensions / scholarships.
In general, since they are allowed to have 4 wives officially, the whole royal family numbers about 5 thousand (!!!) princes and princesses.
Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women are prohibited from driving. Local doctors argue that driving can affect the ovaries and pelvic organs and the likelihood of having a child with a deviation is great, and local scientists say that a woman driving a car, I quote, "will lead to the spread of prostitution, pornography, homosexuality and divorce." Despite this, women are actively fighting for the right to drive cars, they write some kind of petitions, etc.
In general, in Saudi Arabia, women have very few rights. A woman does not have the right to go out on the street alone, only accompanied by a male relative. Until recently, they didn’t even have passports; they entered first into the father’s passport, then into the husband’s passport. But the old king gave them the opportunity to have their own passport.
At the same time, a woman cannot leave Saudi Arabia alone if she does not have written permission from her father / husband.
Another local feature is women's clothing. A woman cannot go out in any clothes except black abaya. Well, the hair should naturally be covered with a black scarf. The faces are also mostly covered by the niqab, but not always. Moreover, even a European woman has no right to appear in public without an abaya. You don't have to cover your face, and sometimes your hair too. Girls can walk without abaya, up to 12 years old.
Men generally wear a dishdash (a white robe) and a red and white headscarf. Disdasha is always dazzlingly white and ironed, and an Arab can correct the scarf on his head for half an hour in front of the mirror so that everything sits beautifully.
From point 9, we can conclude that the Saudis are usually in no hurry, because in such a dress you can't run, you don't jump, and in general you can only sit gravely or slowly move from one point to another. And it's true, they are not in a hurry.
In general, the Saudis are not very hard-working people, I would even say that they are not at all hard-working. To tell the truth, they are lazy. The phrase “If someone can do it, let him do it!” They will definitely promise to do everything tomorrow, but ... The phrase "inshaala bokra" sounds in Arabic more often than others, it means "if Allah permits, then tomorrow." But it seems that Allah often does not allow, so if they tell you “tomorrow”, then it’s at least in a week, but you should not delude yourself, it can also mean NEVER. You just need to get used to it. I do not speak for all Saudis, perhaps there are hard-working and responsible ones, but I haven’t met such people yet. Although no, one can still be used as an example to others.
Saudis - colleagues do not like to answer letters very much. Highly. It is better to resolve all issues by phone, and even better in person. Eyes to eyes. First, talk about life, and then get down to business. Because a letter is a document, and a telephone conversation is just a telephone conversation, you can then say whatever you like, blinking with honest black eyes.
The Saudis themselves work mainly in government agencies, and if in some company, then in the HR Department, well, or top management. All other work is performed by expats (unskilled labor - Indians, Pakistanis, Filipinos, engineers and technicians - Americans, Europeans, other Arabs (Jordan, Yemen, Iraq, etc.))
There is such a thing - Saudization. Each company must necessarily have a certain percentage of the local population in the state, and not just gaster. The more Saudis there are in a company, the more companies are given permits to hire foreigners.
Arabs love to go to each other's office at work and talk about life. However, they do it loudly. This endless gyr-gyr-gyr can be heard from everywhere.
Returning to point 5, I would like to say that I even understand a little why women are not allowed to drive a car. To drive a car in this country, you need to have eggs of steel, because I have not met such cut-up drivers anywhere else (well, perhaps in Tripoli, also in Cairo). Interestingly, the Saudis usually do not rush anywhere in life, but they always drive a car quickly and aggressively. You need to be constantly on the alert so as not to get into an accident. And I see several accidents every day. I traveled several times with the locals as a passenger, the bricks are simply deposited with a bang! The usual picture is that you are driving on the far right at a permitted speed of 120 km per hour, a truck carrying camels overtakes you on the side of the road.
In Saudi Arabia, there are huge fines for traffic violations. The average fine is 500 reais (1 real - 16 rubles) There are cameras around, on the highways there are cars with cameras, but this does not stop anyone.
It is not customary for the Saudis to buckle up. Child seat? Nooo, I have not heard. Usually, the baby sits with his mother in the front seat, leaning out the window, in the back a bunch of Arab chicks jumping on the seat.
It is normal when on a narrow street two Saudis in jeeps stopped opposite each other, blocking the street and talking, not paying attention to the others.
If you see an empty car on a jack in the desert on the side of the road, you are in Saudi. A spare wheel? What a nafig spare tire, you chow?
If you are standing in a queue of three cars and suddenly another one starts wedging in between the first and second cars, you are in Saudi. Oh, how they don't like queues. Oh, they don't.
About queues. I met several queues in institutions. For local, for non-local and separately for Paki / Indians / Pilipinas. Direct signs hang over the queues. Racism, uh-)
White expats usually do not go to government offices, all issues are resolved by the HR members. In cases where your presence is obligatory, the HR person will come with you, will lead you from office to office by the handle and explain everything. You just need to say hello and smile.
In general, if you cannot solve something on your own somewhere, it seems that everything is not supposed to be done, an Arab and an Arab will always decide between themselves. It's good to have a Saudi friend.
And they can easily scribble their scribbles in your documents (for example, in your passport) and they will roll like a document. Even without printing. Verified personally.
In Saudi there is a rule of "right hand" - you cannot eat with your left, pass something on, because the left hand is considered unclean (yes, they are washed away with it). A friend works with Arabs at the field, says that they beat on the hands when, forgetting, he takes food with his left hand. As a joke, of course, but still. I also try to apply only with the right one, it costs me nothing, they are pleased.
You won't find toilet paper in every Saudi toilet, but in every, even the most shabby, there will be a washer. Such a small shower hose. An excellent device, I think.
There is very little western music. Mostly Arabic, all around. Even young people in the car mostly listen to their native mournful tunes. Of all the many radio stations, I found only 3 with Western music: one Radio Bahrain and two from the Saudi Aramko company (one Western pop, the second American nostalgie).
Saudi Aramco (Saudi American Company) is the world's largest mining company. Organized by the Americans in the 30s, at first they were 50-50 with the Saudis, then the Saudis squeezed everything out, now the company is 100% owned by local people. Extracts a quarter of all oil on Earth. Lots of people from all over the world work in Aramco. The average salary of a specialist with experience (and inexperienced people are not accepted there) is fifteen bucks.
Entertainment is officially banned in Saudi Arabia. There is not a single cinema in the kingdom (according to some reports, the first cinema was recently opened in Jeddah, on the campus, but I do not know how true it is).
Education in schools is separate: boys separately, girls separately.
Each restaurant has two sections: for single men and for families. Because seeing other people's women is not good. Essno, if you are alone, then you will not be allowed into the family section. But even if you came with your wife, you still won't look at someone else's aunt, because even in the family section, the tables are separated by screens so that the woman can uncover and eat quietly.
Even in fast food restaurants (McDonald's, for example) there will be two queues at the checkout counters: for women and for others. Food courts are also divided into zones for singles and families. There, the aunts do not uncover, they eat in the curtains. She lifted the curtain with one hand, with the other a fork in her mouth. There is also a division in shopping centers at the checkout counters. Women (or family) separately, single separately.
Well, you won't see someone else's aunt's face, very often siblings do not know what the brothers' wives look like. This is normal.
Alcohol is prohibited in Saudi Arabia. Strictly prohibited. Punished with imprisonment and sticks. But the locals somehow smuggle it in, brew moonshine with dates and so on. You can buy, but very expensive. The whiskey will cost about $ 300 a bubble.
Sticks hurt. Not everyone can stand the punishment with sticks. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but after 100 blows, a person can die. Therefore, the doctor is always nearby, if anything, he will stop the punishment. The rest of the person will receive when heals. If the punishment is, for example, 200 sticks, then it is divided into several months.
Pork is prohibited.
The death penalty for drugs.
For homosexuality, by the way, too! But there are still a lot of gays here. The guys from the detstva are separate from the girls, at school there are guys all around, at the university there are guys, in cafes you can only sit in a single section, where there are only guys. Well, this one. Fall in love with each other.
Executions are usually on Fridays, in the squares. Cut off the head. The people are standing, looking. I saw the video, not a pleasant sight, I can tell you. The truth is less and less lately. Mostly for murder.
Censorship in Saudi Arabia. Pretty tough. All films even cut out the kissing scenes, not to mention the bed scenes. They just stupidly cut out, not caring that the plot from this can get confused. Even on the radio, words are cut out of songs. Remember Psy with his gangnam style? There in the chorus "Eeeee, sexy lady". So in Saudi Arabia he sings simply “Eeeee, uk lady”. Well sex, of course, but an excellent Sia song - Chandelier, where in the chorus “one two three one two three drink”, drink is stupidly cut out.
But most of all I am touched by the censorship in the stores. There are specially trained people there who paint over the exposed parts of the body of not only women, but also men on boxes and packages. Men's panties are on sale, for example, legs and arms are painted over. An inflatable pool is for sale, a happy family is on the package - male children are left as they are, the aunt is completely closed with a black marker. An example of such censorship can be found here. In fashion magazines, girls in short-sleeved T-shirts are neatly drawn with long sleeves. And laughter and sin.
Of the religions, only Islam is allowed. All other religions are strictly prohibited. Of course I wear a cross, but I try not to shine.
In addition to the ordinary police in Saudi Arabia, there is also a religious police, which just monitors the implementation of all of the above prohibitions. It is called the "Commission for the Promotion of Virtue" or simply mutawa. They can come up and make a comment if something is wrong. May be arrested for a serious offense. My friend was once stopped on Friday before lunchtime (the time of the main prayer) and they were asking why he was not at prayer at that time. The fact that he is not a Muslim did not satisfy them very much. I sat in their car until the prayer time was over, then they let me go.
They pray here 5 times a day (in the holy month of Ramadan - 6 times). During prayer, the whole kingdom freezes. Shops, all institutions, gas stations are closed for half an hour. NOTHING works. There are a lot of mosques. There are several in each area. Every shopping center, every institution has a prayer room. Each hotel room has a prayer rug, a Quran and an indication of which side of Mecca.
Before prayer, everything in the toilets is flooded with water. Since you must always pray clean, the locals wash themselves very carefully, the usual picture is that you go into the toilet, and there they wash your feet in the sinks.
Friday is a sacred day! Nobody works. Until lunchtime everything is closed, the streets are empty, everyone is praying.
The Holy Quran is the most needed book. It is also the official constitution of the kingdom, and it teaches provocative Muslims what is possible and what is not.
As in all Arab countries, there is a cult of the family. Every Friday they gather with large families, in restaurants, for picnics, etc. Elders are highly respected.
Gasoline is very cheap in Saudi. A liter of the 91st costs 0.45 real, the 95th - 0.6 (7 and 10 rubles, respectively)
For some reason, most Saudi men have long nails. I don’t understand what it’s connected with, but I’m still not used to it, it cranks every time.
Saudi Arabia is very hot in summer. Often, the temperature in the shade can reach + 50C.
Therefore, on summer weekends, all malls (shopping malls) are full of Arabs and expats. They walk in the malls, talk, eat. Personally, it's always cold for me in these malls, because they turn on air conditioners at + 18C, the Arabs are wrapped up the very thing, and I'm freezing.
In general, many expats live in compounds, this is such an area, separated from everyone by a high wall, with security. Inside the compound, white women may not wear a black abaya, they can wear anything.
Arab women dye a lot. Finger-thick eyebrows, brightly colored eyes, henna designs on the wrists. Everything that can be shown, everything is decorated.
Despite the fact that women can only appear on the street covered, modern women's clothing stores do not experience a shortage of customers. Arab women are actively buying all this to show off at home in front of her husband.
There are no fitting rooms in Saudi malls. Women usually buy clothes, measure them at home, if they don't like it, they bring it back. Or they will try it on in the toilet of the shopping center without a mirror and will also return it if you don’t like it.
There is crime. If you leave your laptop in the car, they can break the window and pull it out. In the evening, they can take away the money-phone.
The Saudis swim in the sea mostly in clothes. Especially women. Men in shorts and T-shirts, the woman is completely covered. Most cannot swim.
The beaches, by the way, are also separate. Somehow, unknowingly, I came to swim on the family beach, for a long time I did not understand why they were looking at me condemningly. But nobody said anything. People usually come to the beach with a large family, from children to old people. With food, barbecue, hookahs.
The country is very dirty. Where there is a person, it is dirty. Paper, bags, packaging. The family came for a picnic, ate and drank, left the whole srach. A common picture - you are driving, a bag of rubbish falls out of the window from the car in front of you. Or he stood at a traffic light, napkins and leftover food are thrown out of a neighboring car.
The inside of the cars of the Saudis is also usually very dirty. Highly. The interior decoration of the car can be done in a couple of months. Make a mess. Therefore, many people do not remove the plastic from the seats for years.
Usually Indians remove garbage from the streets. Well, how is it cleaned up? Pretend. He walks with a bag, picked up one piece of paper, ten remained lying, goes on.
Almost every company has a tea boy. The dude who delivers tea and coffee to the offices. Looks in, asks what you want to drink today, leaves, brings.
In general, it is not so easy to get to Saudi Arabia, it is not a tourist country. A visa will be given if 1) if you are at work, 2) if you are going to a close relative (daughter, son, mom, dad) 3) if you are a Muslim and perform the sacred Hajj to Mecca.
Mecca, the cradle of Islam, is located in the west of the kingdom. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all over the world visit Mecca every year. Non-Muslims are not allowed to enter this shrine.
When you come to work in Saudi Arabia, HR usually takes your passport away from you (not always and not from everyone, they didn’t take it away from me) and in exchange they issue an ikama (residence permit). Iqama is considered an official document in the kingdom. In order to open a bank account or buy a car, you need an ikama. Nobody asks for a passport. By the way, everyone has ugly pictures on ikama. The photo is taken from the system, the one that was made during the first passport control. Usually he takes a picture somehow from below and the people are fucked up. When leaving Saudi, the ikama is surrendered, the passport is received back.
After receiving the ikama, you need to obtain a Saudi driver's license. Russians (and many others) are simply issued on the basis of Russian rights, and for example, Indonesians need to pass exams from scratch to obtain a license. The number of the water license is exactly the same as that of the ikama. Photo too, yyyy
Rains are rare in Saudi. Three to four times a year. And therefore, storm sewers are absent here as a class. And therefore, when it does rain, a state of emergency is declared. Cities are flooding, cars are floating.
In winter, even snow can fall in the desert. But once a year they write. In 2013, it was the last time.
The deserts in Saudi Arabia are beautiful. The sands are of different colors, from yellow to red. By the way, there are fences along the roads in the desert; you can only enter the desert at certain exits.
Although polygamy is allowed in the Kingdom, there is not one of my acquaintances who has two (let alone four) wives. Because according to the law, if you have a second wife, please provide her no worse than the first. I mean, the first wife has a house, which means that you should buy a house for the second wife as well. The first wife has a car with a driver, such and such, the second should be no worse. And time should be given to both of them equal. An expensive pleasure, that's it.
Almost every Arab family has Filipina / Indian nannies. There are many children, behind all eyes and eyes. And not only nannies. Cleaning women also live in many families. A common picture in the mall is an Arab family walking behind 3-4 children with one or two Filipino nannies.
Since entertainment is prohibited, the Saudis try to entertain themselves with whatever they want. One of the entertainments is racing cars (that's why a lot of crashes), riding on two wheels on the side and changing wheels on the go. Another extreme entertainment is slipper racing. This is when you get out of the car at speed and ride on slippers. At speeds over 100 km / h. Don't believe me? Hammer the saudi crazy driver and saudi crazy skaters into youtube.
Another entertainment is to throw stones around your car (between the wheels and the bottom). I don't understand what is the point of this.
On weekends, neighboring Bahrain and the UAE are flooded with cars with Saudis. They generally call Bahrain "our bar". Yes, yes, from Thursday to Saturday all the bars are packed with Saudis. And Cho, under the roof Allah does not see how they joke.
During children's vacations, people travel to Bahrain and the UAE even more massively. There are wild traffic jams on the borders. Entertain children. Cinemas, water parks, everything.
The weekend in Saudi Arabia is Friday - Saturday. A couple of years ago, the weekend was on Thursday-Friday, but then they decided to postpone it by one day for international business.
They generally do not know how to drink. Puff up vhlam. Taught one colleague. Well, as taught, explained why he quickly gets drunk, said that the snack is very important. Now he drinks in a human way, even his head stopped hurting in the morning-)
They like to ask about anything forbidden to them (sex, drinking, etc.) Sometimes they remind me of children.
Despite strict prohibitions, local girls still manage to have sex outside of marriage. They meet in social networks, they meet in secret. There are dating houses. Even an expat can get there if the "quest" and face control pass. Here is a story about it.
New Year is not celebrated in Saudi Arabia. Generally. Even Arabic.
By the way, according to the local calendar, it is now 1436.
During the holy month of Ramadan, the Saudis fast. You cannot eat or drink during daylight hours. In recent years, Ramadan fell on the hottest months, it was hard for the Arabs, not a sip of water all day. Expats are also strongly advised not to drink or eat in the presence of fasting people, and to respect the fast. All offices have shorter working hours during Ramadan.
But after Ramadan, the whole country walks for 9 days. Well, maybe not the whole country, but our office has been resting for 9 days in recent years.
In general, there are officially only 3 holidays in the country. These are Eid al-Fitr aka Uraza Bayram (after Ramadan), Eid al Adha aka Kurban Bayram (also, by the way, have 9 days of rest) and National Day.
Many websites are blocked in Saudi Arabia. For example, our Vkontakte, Chips, not to mention porn sites.
It is forbidden to photograph people (especially the military, police and women). Recently, a dude was arrested for finding wedding photographs of various couples (he had a photo studio and three aunt-photographers customized pictures from weddings for him, and he sold to other men). Photos are decent, no nudity, just faces.
I have never seen public transport in Saudi Arabia. Taxi only. Perhaps he is somewhere, but not sure.
Sometimes at intersections you can meet women wrapped in abaya, who walk from car to car and beg. They are not Saudis. Refugees.
There are no orphanages in Saudi Arabia. If the parents have died / died, the children live with relatives.
They calmly take minor accidents with scratches and small dents. They can safely disperse after such an accident, without calling the police and without any complaints at all. They drove me a couple of times slightly aft, just parted.
Traffic jams in the desert often go around the desert. On the side of the road in 5 rows.
Saudis, driving up to the store, often do not even get out of the car. Specially trained Indians run up, take the order, take the money, run away, bring the order and change. For a penny tip.
In general, Indians do a lot here for a penny. For 100 riyals a month you will have your car washed three times a week.
Very tasty (in my opinion) local food, especially the grill. What what, and the Arabs know how to cook meat. Served with tortillas, hummus and babaganush. The yummy is unreal. Especially the lamb ribs. And most often the most delicious grill in the most unpresentable cafes. Well, rice. Rice goes automatically.
Camels all around. On the sidelines, in the desert, even on the menu. Tried good meat.
In many Arabian clothes, instead of a tablecloth, they simply lay polyethylene. Since the Arabs eat everything with their hands (instead of a spoon / fork, a piece of flatbread), they simply dump rice with meat on the table (onto plastic), eat it with their hands, and after eating they simply collect the plastic with food leftovers and throw it away, and the table is again as good as new until the next client ...
There are no taxes in Saudi Arabia. You can open any business, make money and do not have to pay taxes. True, it is difficult for expats to open a business; there must be a Saudi in their partners.
At Saudi weddings, women walk separately, men walk separately. Often even in different parts of the city. Women come to the celebration in their most beautiful dresses and adornments under abayas, they celebrate openly, but before the newly-made husband comes to pick up his young wife, they again take cover with abayas and niqabs.
And that's all, that's enough for you and sotochki-)
