Saudi Arabia Vs America Essay

885 Words4 Pages

Living in the United States is much different than when I lived in Saudi Arabia. The reason for this is largely because of the obvious cultural differences between the two countries. With Saudi Arabia being a predominately Muslim nation, and America being a melting pot of different cultures and people from all over the world, its apparent why the culture can be so vastly different. Three main areas where the cultural differences affect the way of life here in America as opposed to Saudi Arabia are the treatment of women, the importance that religion plays in the day to day rulings, and decisions made regarding the country, and the food quality and variety. The treatment of women in Saudi Arabia has changed over the years. In the past, there …show more content…

In the Saudi government, Islam is the primary governing force behind all of the decisions and rulings made by the king of Saudi Arabia. The reason for this is because Saudi Arabia, unlike America was founded solely on Islamic traditions and heritage. It is not mandated that you must be a Muslim to live in Saudi Arabia, but it is part of the everyday culture and what all Saudis are raised in. In Islam, the women are to be subservient to men. The reason that women today in Saudi Arabia are questioning the rulings and laws regarding themselves are is the feminist culture that is spreading internationally, specifically from America. However, the precepts of Islam and the Muslim heritage are still strong in the Saudi government, and still remain as a primary direction in the day to day decisions made by the king. In America, there is no set religion that everyone follows. It is described internationally as a “melting pot” that has infused many different religions and is a place where the majority of people do not follow a single unified one. This alone creates a much different culture in that you are not looked down upon if you do not follow Islam, or Christianity, or Buddhism, or any of the other religions that are present in America. While individuals may be looked down upon by other followers of that religion, there is not a communal dislike of anyone that follows a different