More than half the area of Saudi Arabia is desert. Fertile oases, many of which are the sites of towns and villages, are scattered through the Saudi Arabian deserts north of Rub’ al Khali. Larger tracts of grassland can be found in Ad Dhana’ and the plateau region. The great Saudi Arabian oil fields are located in the coastal area adjoining the Persian Gulf.
Today, the government is the largest employer in Saudi Arabia, engaging about one-third of the work force. Industry employs nearly another third, including a small percentage in the oil industry. The remainder are involved in trade and other services, and in agriculture or fishing.
Education in Saudi Arabia is free, but not compulsory. About two-thirds of Saudi adults are literate, a dramatic increase from the less than 3% literacy rate in the early 1960s. In recent decades, teacher-training institutes have been established with the aim of reducing the country’s great dependence on other Arab countries for teachers.
Because Saudi Arabia has long imported food, agriculture has been targeted as a key area of development. The country has achieved self-sufficiency in many dairy and poultry products. The lack of water has made a very small percentage of the land useful for farming. Irrigated lands located near oases have been virtually the only sites of cultivation.
In accordance with their Muslim religion, Gulf Arab marriages are typically endogamous, which means that they marry only within a small social circle. Inheritance is patrilineal (passed down from fathers to their sons). Gulf Arab clothing is designed for the harsh desert climate. It is made of lightweight, light-colored fabric and is also loose-fitting, allowing for the circulation of air.
Arabia once had a large Christian population, but they were expelled when Islam gained control 1,300 years ago
Prayer Points
Ask the Lord to open the doors of Saudi Arabia to the preaching of the Gospel.
Ask the Holy Spirit to give creative strategies for evangelism to missions agencies focusing on Hijazi Arabs.
Pray that God will give Hijazi Arab believers courage to share Christ with their own people.
Ask God to raise up prayer teams who will begin breaking up the soil through worship and intercession.
Pray that strong local churches will be raised up among Hijazi Arabs.
Use these resources to help pray specifically each day.