Saudis with links to the royal family naturally are regarded as having power and influence.Between Saudis themselves there are subtle divisions based on tribal affiliations, Sunni/Shia, location (rural vs urban) and levels of education.
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Saudis exist at the top of the hierarchy, other Arabs coming next, European expatriates followed by Asian expatriates who usually for the manual labour.Social divisions exist in Saudi society mainly between locals and foreign, expatriate workers.Nepotism is considered a good thing, since it implies that employing people one knows and trusts is of primary importance.The individual derives a social network and assistance in times of need from the family.Families tend to be large and the extended family is quite close.Saudis take their responsibilities to their family quite seriously.As is seen in their naming conventions, Saudis are cognizant of their heritage, their clan, and their extended family, as well as their nuclear family.The family and tribe are the basis of the social structure.Usually 3 days holiday although many people take the hajj period off work. Eid ul-Adha – known in English as the ‘day of sacrifice’ this day marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage and also the day an animal is sacrificed in honour of Abraham.Changes date every year due to Islamic lunar calendar.
Eid ul-Fitr – marking the end of Ramadan.It is possible to find other places of worship (mainly in Jeddah, Riyadh, etc) for Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, etc which serve expatriate communities.Expatriates are not required to fast however, they must not eat, drink, smoke, or chew gum in public.Fasting includes no eating, drinking, cigarette smoking, or gum chewing.During the holy month of Ramadan all Muslims must fast from dawn to dusk and are only permitted to work six hours per day.Many companies also close on Thursday, making the weekend Thursday and Friday. The exact time is listed in the local newspaper each day and also on the news on TV.Among certain obligations for Muslims are to pray five times a day - at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening.The majority of Saudi Muslims are Sunni although a large number of Shia populate the Eastern coast and some smaller sects near the Yemen border.Islam was born in Saudi Arabia and thus is visited by millions of Muslims every year.