About this Guide This guide is designed to prepare you to deploy to culturally complex environments and achieve mission objectives. The ECFG fundamental information contained within will help you understand the cultural dimension of your assigned location and gain skills necessary for success (Photo: Saudi soldiers perform a traditional dance). Kingdomof Saudi Arabia The guide consists of two parts: Part 1 “Culture General” provides the foundational knowledge you need to operate effectively in any global environment with a focus on the Arab Gulf States. NOTE: While the term Persian Gulf is common in the US, this guide uses the name preferred in the region, the Arabian Gulf. Part 2 “Culture Specific” describes unique cultural features of Saudi society. It applies culture-general concepts to help increase your knowledge of your assigned deployment location. This section is designed to complement other pre- deployment training (Photo: US soldiers dine on a traditional Saudi meal of lamb and rice). For further information, visit the Air Force Culture and Language Center (AFCLC) website at http://culture.af.mil/ or contact the AFCLC Region Team at
[email protected]. Disclaimer: All text is the property of the AFCLC and may not be modified by a change in title, content, or labeling. It may be reproduced in its current format with the express permission of the AFCLC. All photography is provided as a courtesy of the US government, Wikimedia, and other sources. GENERAL CULTURE PART 1 – CULTURE GENERAL What is Culture? Fundamental to all aspects of human existence, culture shapes the way humans view life and functions as a tool we use to adapt to our social and physical environments.