The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia occupies about 80 percent of the Arabian Peninsula. Much of this large country is a dry, windswept desert with little or no rainfall. Except for wadis, which contain water only in the rainy season, Saudi Arabia has no rivers or lakes. Oases are a source of life, an island of greenery, in an otherwise barren wilderness. These are caused by underground water sources. Some oases may only consist of a few palm trees, a muddy waterhole, and a few temporary inhabitants, while others cover a number of square miles and have a permanent population of several thousand people living nearby. Many oasis dwellers raise camels, sheep, goats, and a variety of fruits and vegetables. Daytime temperatures can rise as high as 130° F. before dropping to night temperatures as low as 40° F.

Ishmael and the Bedouins

There is little recorded history about the people of Saudi Arabia apart from the Bible. They are descendants of Ishmael, Abraham’s first son. The prophecy of God about Ishmael is that “he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren” (Gen. 16:11). How true that has been in the history of the Arabs. There has been so much strife and fighting. Also, in the account of Joseph, the Bible speaks of Ishmaelite merchants to whom he was sold. From what history is available, it has become evident that the Arabs were nomadic people who roamed the deserts with their herds of cattle. They became merchants and traded from India to Africa in ivory, animal skins, spices, jewels, gold, and incense. A network of caravan routes crossed the Arabian Peninsula to Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and Babylonia.

Today about 10 percent of the population are Bedouins. The word Bedouin means “dwellers in the desert.” These people move about in search of water and grazing land for their herds of camels, sheep, and goats. They live in tents woven from goat or camel hair. Each tent represents a family or clan; a number of clans make a tribe. The Bedouins are fiercely loyal to the members of their group. They do not readily give loyalty to anyone else. They have a time-honored tradition of hospitality. A stranger must be given food, water, and shelter and treated like a member of the family for three days. After this, the guest’s special status expires.

Islam: A Shaping Factor

Islam is probably the greatest shaping factor of culture in Saudi Arabia. In 570 A.D., the religious leader Muhammad was born in Mecca to a family of the Quaraysh people. The Quaraysh were fighters from the deserts of northern Arabia who had gained control of Mecca. Muhammad led the life of a well-to-do merchant until about the age of thirty. At this time he began to speak of visions and voices. He thought perhaps he was going insane, but his wife convinced him to listen to them as from God. His radical ideas about worshiping only one god angered the powerful merchants of Mecca, and he was forced to flee to Medina. He continued to spread his teachings and engaged in caravan raiding. He and his followers soon gained great wealth and a warlike reputation. As Muhammad’s influence grew, more and more people joined him. In 630 he was able to return to Mecca and occupy it easily. There he destroyed the statues in the Kaaba and set it up to be a holy place for Islamic worship. These two cities, Medina and Mecca, are Islam’s most sacred cities. Several million Muslims journey to Mecca each year.

Disunity

After Muhammad’s death in 632, the Arabs began to travel to other countries under the banner of Islam. They conquered Egypt, North Africa, Spain, Syria, Iraq, Persia, Afghanistan, and parts of India and Asia. During these conquests, Arabia itself began to decline in importance. The Umayyad clan took over leadership and moved the political center to Damascus. This weakened the ties between the conquered lands and Arabia. The land fell into political disorder, and the peoples fought among themselves. Many attempts were made to reunite, but they were unsuccessful. Ibn Saud proclaimed himself the king of Hejaz and sultan of Nejd in 1926. He began to dominate Arabian politics and ended the local fighting that had been going on within the country. By strictly enforcing Islamic law, he sought to create a unified country.

Wealth in the Desert

In 1933 Ibn Saud gave ARAMCO the right to search for oil. Its discovery drastically changed life in Saudi Arabia. A country that was once isolated and insignificant suddenly had international systems of transportation and communication: airports, television stations, diesel-fueled trucks, etc.

The practice of Islam’s traditions has not declined with time; rather, daily life in this desert country still revolves around prayer. But many things about life have drastically changed as oil wealth propelled the nation forward into a technological world. A typical street scene in Saudi Arabia shows the struggle between old and new. Modern concrete and steel buildings stand by adobe houses. Cars and donkeys jostle for positions on new roads. Radio hit songs blend with Muslim prayer calls. Amidst it all, Saudi Arabia strives to develop a modern, yet traditional Islamic nation.

Nomads No More

Many of Saudi Arabia’s 21.6 million people were at one time nomads or semi-nomads, but economic growth has caused the country’s settled population to increase steadily. Many nomads are drawn to the cities by the promise of good wages. Millions of skilled workers from other countries (Egyptians, Lebanese, Palestinians, Indians, Europeans, and Americans) have also been attracted by the oil industry. In 1998, 69 percent of the work force was made up of foreigners.

Saudi Arabia’s cities are now home to about 83 percent of the population.

Life

The people of Saudi Arabia are confident and self-assured. Their homeland is the cradle of Islam, and their oil resources are in demand around the world. They have a common language, culture, and ethnicity.

Saudi Arabia is often called a “closed society” because it is very difficult to obtain Saudi citizenship, and visitors may enter the country only on business or to make a pilgrimage. Not until 2000 did the country allow even limited tourism.

Daily life in Saudi Arabia is a mixture of old and new. Women veiled from head to toe chat on their cell phones. A shiny new Mercedes truck may zoom by carrying a herd of camels. Wealthy families often live in beautiful homes surrounded by lush gardens with waterfalls and rippling streams. Their floors are covered with hand-woven carpets and cushions. Colorful hangings adorn the walls. The Bedouins, in contrast, live in tents of goat or camels’ hair. But one thing they all have in common is their religion. All of life revolves around it. At five in the morning the prayer call pierces the air, and men leave their homes to pray at the mosque. All throughout the day the calls come, and merchants close their shops and leave their shoes at mosque doors to kneel on prayer rugs.

They are deeply dedicated—and yet in darkness. How will they know unless God’s people rise up and do as Christ commanded? Today, Saudi Arabia is one of the least evangelized countries in the world. Missionaries are not allowed in this Arabic-speaking nation, and Christian literature is banned. Does that make the Great Commission of less import?

Pray! Pray that God’s truth would somehow penetrate into this deeply Islamic country (93%). Pray that their eyes would be open to see Jesus Christ, their only hope. Pray that the few Christians who do live there would be brave despite intense persecution. Pray that skilled workers from other countries, including other Arabs, might gain a burden to reach Saudis for Christ.

Story for the Children

My name is Hamad. I am a Bedouin. We live in a tent made of camel’s hair. My whole family lives in the tent, as well as many of my relatives. Our family group is called a clan. There are several clans in our tribe. Sometimes in the evening when we sit around the fire, Grandfather tells me stories about my ancestors and how they were great warriors. Each morning in the school week father takes me to school in his white Mercedes pickup truck. I like to ride in the truck, but I like even better to ride on the back of one of our camels. I love the way I sway from side to side.

This year I will be twelve years old. My father has told me that at Hajj he will take me on pilgrimage to Mecca. We are Muslim. Every Muslim should make this journey at least once. My father has made it several times. I can hardly wait to go. I will wear a white robe like everyone else. This shows that we are all equal in the sight of Allah. Father has told me some of what will take place when we get there. After we have finished our ritual washing and prayers, we will all walk around the Kaaba seven times, keeping to the left. We will try to kiss the black stone that is in the Kaaba. It is said to be the place where Allah provided water for Hagar and Ishmael. A new black silk cover is put on the stone every year. We will all collect pebbles to throw at the sacred pillars to get rid of the evil spirits in us. On the way home we will visit the tomb of Muhammad in Medina.

There are so many rituals about coming to Allah. I try to do all that I should to show my submission. Each morning I rise at five to say my prayers. I repeat the many names of Allah. I also spend some time reciting from the Qur’an, our holy book. I have nearly finished memorizing it all. There are many things in it that I do not understand. I sometimes wonder why my father hates Christians so much. I read about their prophet in the Qur’an. He seemed to be a good man. Once I picked up a small pamphlet at school that talked about this Jesus. It told about the many good deeds He did. It said that He was the Son of God, and that He died for sinners. I don’t understand how He could be God’s Son since the Qur’an teaches that Allah cannot have a son. But I do wish I could understand more about Him. He seemed so good and kind. The pamphlet talked about having peace with God. That is something I don’t have. No matter how many good things I do, I still think I cannot make Allah happy because there is always my past sin and the good things that I have not yet done. Peace is something I don’t understand. I don’t think my father knows peace either.

Questions

1. About ___ percent of the people in Saudi Arabia are Bedouins.
   Hamad was part of this people group.
2. The name Bedouin means “_________ ___ ___ _________.”
3. They live in _____ made of camel or goats’ hair and herd animals.
4. About one-fourth of the country is a dry ______.
   Temperatures sometimes get as high as 130° F.
5. The religion of almost all the people in Saudi Arabia is _______.
   They believe in Allah
6. Their holy book is called the _______.
7. Can doing good deeds and praying to Allah bring peace? ____
8. Who is the only One who can give us peace? _______

Answers