Saudi Arabia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example government has used the oil wealth of the country for the benefit of its people and it has put a lot of investment not only in infrastructure but also in education (Khatib, 2011). In fact, it can be said that some of the infrastructure in Saudi Arabia is better developed than that in the United States. The cities of this country are also very well planned and built and these are designed in very modern architecture. It is actually a breathtaking site when one approaches a Saudi Arabian city from a distance; it is truly an image of a beautiful oasis in the desert. This country has a very extensive social welfare system that caters for all its citizens and one could dare argue that the Saudi Arabian social welfare system actually functions better than the one in the United States (Wiley, 1999). Many in the United States believe that since Saudi Arabia is a traditionalist society, it does not have the necessary development to be in the modern world. The American image of Saudi Arabia is one of nomadic Arab tribesmen moving from place to place in the desert with nothing better to do than breed religious fanatics (Kamran, 2000). This image of Saudi Arabia is a very bad stereotype of the people of this state because most of the population of this country stopped their nomadic lifestyle more than half a century ago and in fact, many today live in the urban areas. The people of Saudi Arabia have adopted many of the ways of the Western world and this include the use of cars to travel instead of camels, many wear Western clothing (especially the men), and most of all, they live in houses which have been built in the modern style. The popular opinion in the United States is that Saudi Arabia is an extremely fanatical society when it comes to religion (Harris, 2003). This image only applies to a few of the people in this society because the majorities are surprisingly very liberal in matters concerning religion. Moreover, they only appear to be fanatical because of their