Hadwa Alruhaili

Friday, May 5, 2023

Grade 11

Saudi Arabia (A Transformation)

)‫واليوم عقب النفط جيتوا لنا أنساب‬ ‫(يوم الفقر شلتوا علينا عيوبه‬
This is a line from an Arabic poem written by prince Khalid Al-
Faisal Al-Saud. It directly translates to the following: On the days of
poverty, you burdened us with our short comings – today after oil you
come to us seeking engagement. This part of the poem point us to what
helped shape Saudi Arabia into what it is now: the discovery of oil. The
discovery of oil in the 1930s – the beginning of the 20th century -
revolutionized many aspects of Saudi Arabia; however, a lot of people in
Saudi Arabia are still proud and attached to their culture, heritage, and
history even after this era of prosperity. In the following paragraphs we
discuss the change in religious believes, new strategic national advances,
.and education amidst the 20th and 21st century
Saudi Arabians witnessed dramatic changes in the religious
landscape of their country. In the 20th century, most if not all of decisions
were instilled based on scholars' fatwa. Nowadays we see a slight
separation between the country's internal affairs and religion. There has
been a growing trend towards more moderation and openness. We can see
that through recent laws that allow women to drive, travel, and lead their
own lives. We also see a plethora of festivals and events hosted here in
Saudi Arabia, a privilege that wasn’t available in the 20th century. While
there has been an abrupt shift in the country's convections, Saudi Arabia
still relies on Islam to weave the fabric of our society preserving our
.heritage and history
In recent years Saudi Arabia has experienced an unprecedented
change in its economy. Thanks to its rich oil reserves the country has
been able to fund a lot of projects that accelerate the country's growth.
The government has invested in research and development of sectors like
healthcare, computer science, Artificial Intelligence, and clean energy
resources. The country has recently discussed a future where their income
doesn’t rely on oil, a scarce commodity. We have seen remarkable
strategic advancements in trying to find a clean and renewable source of
energy. Not so long ago this wasn’t even on Saudi Arabia's agenda. The
country fully relied on oil and other natural resources to fund all
.government sectors
Before 1938, the country education system heavily revolved around
Islamic teachings like Quran and religious jurisprudence. Scientific
subjects like Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology were heavily
neglected in schools. After
the discovery of oil,
everything changed. The
government realized that
many sectors are now in need
of people with skills
necessary to advance oil
production. That is when the
government started teaching
the sciences, and that is what motivated the government to send many
students abroad for further education. Nowadays schools effectively
balance between religious and scientific studies making the education
system one of the best in the world. The graph above shows the number
.of students studying abroad starting from the 1980s
To sum up what has been stated, Saudi Arabia has experienced a
major dynamic shift in its economy, education, and religious convictions,
but the government has succeeded in maintain the pillars of Islam that
.hold up our society