The Story of Saudi Arabia

Land of Paradox and Contradiction

Saudi Arabia to an Outsider

Saudi Arabia in Reality

What makes Saudi Arabia so unique?

Affluence, Restriction and...

...Youth!

Saudi Arabia is an extremely closed society...

...on the face of it!

Yet beneath the surface there are a vast array of thriving sub-cultures and private kingdoms!

Combination of Affluence and Restriction with Prevalence of Youth has Created a New Kind of

Society

Society of Paradoxes

Society is modeled around the family

Probably the only country in the world...Separate a singles section and a family section in a restaurant

Malls on weekends become families only in Riyadh!

Yet Saudi Arabia has the Second Highest Divorce Rate in the World!*

*Alarming Divorce Rate ‘Must Be Addressed Urgently’ - Source: Art Arabia - Saudi Affairs - http://inci.to/fwrOzp

Business and Society are structured around religious values

Holidays, Weekends and Workdays are geared around Islamic practices

A man can get arrested if he is idling around at prayer time

Yet according to WHO per capita consumption of alcohol is Saudi Arabia is 0.6L

In parts of the country an unveiled face can get into serious trouble

Women are not allowed to drive...

...but they have the freedom to hire a maid for each of their children and more for every thinkable household task!

There are no cinemas in Saudi Arabia

But piracy is costing the entertainment industry $95 million.

There are no music concerts in Saudi ArabiaBut there is an active underground music scene happening from girl only rock band to Saudi Rappers!

It is OK for men to kiss each other in public

but not OK for women to work in a public place!

You will see groups of men eating roast lamb and rice from a single

plate

at the same time you will see others ordering Salad at a boutique restaurant using the iPad

There are women whose lives are so restricted - they even go through childbirth at home

While there are women entrepreneurs at every level

From owners of big companies to cupcake factories at home

Single women who have lived, studied and worked abroad at the highest level

Stunt Driving is a profession in some countries In Saudi it is a youth leisure activity!

To express themselves admirers would write a love letter in some parts of the world

In Saudi Arabia men write their phone numbers on a piece of paper and force it upon the subjects of their admiration

Bluetooth is a file exchange technology

In Saudi it is a popular dating tool to share flirtatious messages and poetry to spark a conversation

Popular Bumper Sticker in Saudi Arabia

BB PIN Number!

Education spend per capita as a % of total government spend is second highest in the world

Yet the quality of education is poor!

Saudi Arabia has the highest per capital Oil Production

Yet the infrastructure is close to that of a third world country. 111 mm of rain in a day drowned the city of Jeddah.

Reserves were estimated at $500 billion when the oil prices hit $100 a barrel

In sum...

• Saudi Arabia is unique because it is one of the only societies in the world which is both affluent and publicly restricted at the same time

• There are either affluent societies with no restrictions

• Or restricted societies with no affluence

• This is the paradox which makes Saudi Arabia unique

Affluence has also led to excess!

Saudi Arabia suffers from a high rate of obesity, diabetes and heart diseases

How to make sense of this paradox?

Segmenting Saudi Arabia

From Popular Culture

Segmenting Saudi Arabia

Name: SattamAge: 32Occupation: unemployed

Sattam spends his days hanging out at coffee shops and goes for desert trips in his GMC. His name in bluetooth is friend of the night

Kobra

Segmenting Saudi Arabia

Name: RamiAge: 23Occupation: Student of College of Business

Rami had a fight with his barber. His father spoils him. Bought him the latest convertible Lamborghini

Kaddash

Segmenting Saudi Arabia

Name: WadhaAge: 38Occupation: Teacher

Wadha is a school teacher. Divorced with seven daughters and one boy

Garweha

Segmenting Saudi Arabia

Name: MaiAge: 16Occupation: Student

Student at International School. Always expelled from school and is always looking for trouble

Tom Boy

Segmenting Saudi Arabia

Name: AbdullahAge: 40Occupation: School Principal

Abdullah prays all his prayers in the mosque. Wishes everybody to find the righteous way

Al-Multazim

Segmenting Saudi Arabia

Name: GeorgeAge: 35Occupation: Sales Manager

George works for a big media company. He has lived in Saudi Arabia for ten years but his sponsor let him go.

Khawaja

Segmenting Saudi Arabia

Name: SarahAge: 21 Occupation: Student

Sarah graduated from college and wears nothing but high end brands. She likes to spend time at the beach

Bint Al-Kash

Segmenting Saudi Arabia

Name: MarzoogAge: 17 Occupation: Student

Marzoog has nothing on his mind except to play soccer with his friends in the streets

Arbaji

From primary segmentation research in Saudi Arabia

• Saudi Arabia can be divided into four key segments

• The Radicals

• The Balancers

• The Dreamers

• The Traditionalists

Thank you!