by Reem Alsaawi

In my opinion the family is the basic nucleus of our society and it’s the determiner of the conscience and behavior of its members.  So I will talk about my perspective of family bonds in Saudi Arabia and of their importance in Saudi culture.

Saudi Arabia is characterized by large family communities, where the average family consists of 6-10 members who have very strong bonds between them. They usually gather together everyday at sunset, drinking Arabic coffee and chatting. They talk about everything, including their work and friends. So I always return from work at 4:00 PM, sit with my parents, my sisters, and my brother.  We drink coffee together and talk of plans for the day. Sometimes we discuss family problems, trying to find solutions. On the weekends we attend a family meeting, where all of the family members attend to maintain the bonds of our relationships. Most Saudis also show a lot of respect for their elderly.  They take care of elderly relatives and these relatives get help without asking for it. The bonds between members of a Saudi family are not limited to close relatives, but can also extend to the workplace. Often families are involved in joint business ventures. The strong bonds in the community come from the Islamic religion. I learned from Islam that it is important to be compassionate towards parents and children and to take good care of them. It is also important to forgive them and show fairness between children.  I think that the strong bonds and relations between individuals and their families creates a safe community.