6 Saudi Traditions That Are Still Alive Today

Name: 6 Saudi Traditions That Are Still Alive Today
Uploaded: 2026-09-16T13:53:55+00:00
Duration: 18 min 35 s
Channel: UAE Moments

00:00Saudi Arabia has a national dance where men still raise real swords in unison.

00:05It has coffee rituals older than the kingdom itself,

00:07and a falconry tradition that hasn't changed much since the days before oil was even discovered.

00:13So when people ask which Saudi traditions are still alive today,

00:16the honest answer is, more than you'd think.

00:19And they show up everywhere from royal palaces to desert weekends.

00:23We're going to walk through six of them,

00:25starting with the one you've probably already seen on TV without knowing its name.

00:29Picture two rows of men standing shoulder to shoulder,

00:32swords raised, drums pounding,

00:34and a green flag in the middle that never touches the ground.

00:38That's the Arda and it's still performed today at national festivals,

00:41royal ceremonies, and even when world leaders visit the kingdom.

00:45Originally a martial dance,

00:47it was performed before significant battles and victories by tribes of the Arabian Peninsula,

00:52including the ruling family of Al-Saud.

00:54It wasn't entertainment back then, it was preparation for war.

00:58Previously, the Arda was performed as an announcement and preparation for war,

01:03serving as a motivation for courage and a reminder of strength and bravery,

01:07and as a renewal of loyalty to the leader and a pledge of support.

01:11Every drumbeat, every raised sword had a purpose beyond spectacle.

01:15It was psychological warfare and morale building rolled into one.

01:19The dance has a documented turning point tied directly to the kingdom's founding.

01:23In February 1932, King Abdullaz's bin Abdulrahman Al-Saud asked his sons and soldiers to celebrate Eid

01:31by performing the Arda in front of his palace in Mecca.

01:34That moment shifted the Arda from a battlefield ritual into something closer to a national celebration,

01:39and it never really went back.

01:41Once the fighting stopped and the kingdom stabilized, the dance changed jobs.

01:46With the establishment of security in the kingdom, the Arda has transformed into a kinetic performance expressing joy and is

01:53held on happy occasions.

01:54It moved from war preparation to something performed at weddings, national days, and diplomatic visits.

02:00Today it's called Al-Arda Al-Najdia, tying it to its home region.

02:04It began with the male tribes of the central Najd region.

02:08Everything about the costume is deliberate.

02:11According to Al-Shamrani, participants in the Arda dance must wear the traditional Saudi dress,

02:16which includes the gutra headscarf and agal headband.

02:19They must also wear an ornamental gown called seya or dagger, while drummers wear firmalia gowns.

02:25Even the weapons on display aren't just for show.

02:28Attention is given to accessories like daggers, pistol holsters, and bullet belts.

02:33The instruments matter just as much as the sword.

02:35The drums are made from palm wood and camel hide.

02:39Their sides decorated with tassels and held with leather straps,

02:42and even the drumsticks are curved from bamboo for better rhythm.

02:46No electric amplification, no modern instruments sneaking in.

02:50And that flag in the center isn't decorative either.

02:53No Saudi Arda is complete without al-Barak.

02:56The green flag identical to the national flag, carried by the flag bearer,

03:00often someone whose family held the flag in past wars.

03:03The flag rule is strict. The flag never touches the ground, never folds, never fades.

03:08This isn't a fading folk custom kept alive by a handful of enthusiasts.

03:13It's institutionalized.

03:15The kingdom established the National Center for Saudi Arda,

03:18affiliated with the King Abdullaz's foundation for research and archives,

03:22as an authoritative body for developing and reviving the Saudi Arda heritage.

03:27UNESCO has taken notice too. The Arda is a UNESCO-listed dance that combines traditional chanting,

03:33swordplay, and rhythmic drums. And it's become part of the kingdom's diplomatic playbook.

03:38Visiting heads of state have been pulled into the circle, swords in hand, as a mark of respect.

03:43It's a strange sight for outsiders, foreign presidents in ceremonial robes, swaying with a sword.

03:49But for Saudis, it's one of the clearest living threads, connecting the modern state back to the

03:54tribal battlefield. If the Arda is the loud, public face of Saudi tradition, Gawa is the quiet one.

04:00And it's arguably even more deeply embedded in daily life.

04:04This is Arabic coffee, and it's not just a drink.

04:07The ritual of Arabic coffee in Saudi Arabia, known as Gawa, stands as a powerful symbol of

04:13hospitality. Especially within the Majlis, a traditional seating area where stories are shared

04:18and connections flourish. The word itself carries weight. In fact, the Arabic word Kawa,

04:23from which coffee derives, means strength. Reflecting its historical significance in providing

04:28energy and vitality to those who consume it. This isn't a casual pick-me-up. It's baked into

04:34how Saudis welcome people into their homes and their lives. The setting where it happens,

04:39the Majlis, is a room built for exactly this purpose. A traditional Majlis is typically the largest

04:44room in an Arab house, with a separate entryway and larger entrance door. And inside, you'll find a

04:50spacious area, with carpets covering the floor and cushions arranged against the walls. With low

04:55seating preferred, allowing guests to sit comfortably with folded legs during extended conversations.

05:01There's often a dedicated stove just for brewing. At the heart of many Majlis is a special stove,

05:07or Kaur, for preparing fresh Arabic coffee. The brewing process itself is a small ceremony.

05:13Water and the ground coffee beans are poured into the dala, along with cardamom. And the true skill

05:18lies in the gentle heating process, which takes at least 10 minutes. The water is brought to a

05:24simmer, never a full boil with sugar added first, then the ground coffee beans. And finally, cardamom

05:29powder, and sometimes saffron and cloves, stirred in. Get the boil wrong and you've ruined the pot.

05:35There's real technique here, passed down rather than written in a recipe book. Serving it has its own

05:40etiquette too. Traditional Arabic coffee is served in a dala, poured with the right hand in a small

05:46amount into small cups that have no handles. Which shows good hospitality and follows the usual

05:51etiquette. And who gets served first isn't random. It is also significant that the Gawaji first serves

05:57the most important person in the Majlis, or social seated assembly. There's even a version of the ritual

06:03tied to something far heavier than small talk. Al Saif, literally the cup of the sword, is served,

06:09traditionally when the parties have established a protection deal between them. A promise to defend

06:14one another, in the event of threats against their people. That's how far back and how serious this

06:19custom goes, coffee sealing alliances between tribes. The world has formally recognized how significant this

06:25is. Gawa was recognized by UNESCO in 2022 as an intangible cultural heritage. Traditionally

06:32associated with hospitality, respect, and familial bonds. And despite Riyadh and Jeddah filling up with

06:38espresso bars and specialty roasteries, the core ritual hasn't disappeared, it's just found new rooms to live

06:44in. Today in Saudi Arabia, the cafe has replaced the Majlis in both function and form. It is where friends

06:51gather, business pitches happen, arguments get settled, couples meet for the first time, and

06:56students work silently side by side. The pot might be a French press now instead of a Dalla in some

07:02places, but the instinct to serve a guest coffee the moment they sit down hasn't gone anywhere.

07:07Now here's a tradition that's arguably changed the least of any on this list. Falconry in Saudi Arabia

07:13isn't a museum piece. It's an active weekend activity for thousands of families. And it's one of the

07:19oldest human relationships with animals still practiced almost exactly as it was centuries

07:24ago. Falconry, also known as al-Bazara, in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is one of the kingdom's

07:30traditional crafts involving falcon breeding and training on hunting and catching. It's not a quick

07:35hobby to pick up either. It requires patience and caution, and the training process takes 30 to 40 days.

07:42What's remarkable is how central this bird became to national identity. When the first Saudi state was

07:47established three centuries ago, the falcon was adopted as a symbol of power, precision,

07:53and nobility. Used as a token of peace in resolving tribal disputes, with prized falcons exchanged as

07:59diplomatic gifts between rulers. A tradition that continues today, and the falcon appears on Saudi

08:05Arabia's national emblem, on the currency, and across government institutions. This isn't just a

08:11countryside pastime, it's stitched into the symbols of the state itself. Experts who tracked falconry

08:16across the region point to Saudi Arabia specifically as an outlier in how little the practice has

08:22drifted from its roots. Falconry in the kingdom has changed the least from its origins because it is

08:27practiced in an environment untouched by agriculture or urban development. And of all Middle Eastern

08:33states that practice falconry, Saudi Arabia is probably the last country to have preserved the

08:39original tradition of taking wild quarry with a wild hawk. The seasonal rhythm of it hasn't changed

08:45either. Traditionally, in Saudi Arabia, falconry begins with the capture of falcons during the

08:50migration season, an important ritual which is as important as the hunt itself. And preparation for

08:56the trapping season begins early in June and July with the capture or acquisition of falcons.

09:02Modern falconers still plan their year around bird migration the way their grandfathers did. Of course,

09:08the modern world has added its own layer. Money now moves through this tradition in ways it never used

09:13to. Many passionate falconers are ready to pay a high price ranging from SR-250 up to SR-250 and

09:21more

09:21for a rare breed. There's a whole auction economy around prized birds now, something a Bedouin hunter

09:27a century ago would never have imagined. Regulation has caught up too, mostly to protect wild bird

09:33populations. Hunting is very tightly regulated in Saudi, with strict rules overseen by the National

09:39Center for Wildlife governing all aspects. With the season running from 1st September to 31st January,

09:46and only those registered with the Saudi Falcons Club allowed to participate in hunting season.

09:51The Saudi Falcons Club itself is a fairly recent formal structure. Established in 2017 by royal order,

09:59the Saudi Falcons Club brings falconers under one roof to preserve and promote the historical heritage

10:04and traditions of the falconry culture in Saudi. And the world agrees this deserves protecting.

10:10Falconry is a national symbol and a historical tradition in the kingdom, and it now sits on

10:15UNESCO's list of humanity's intangible heritage, alongside more than a dozen other nations that

10:20still practice it. Camels used to mean survival in the Arabian desert. Today they mean Saturday

10:26entertainment for tens of thousands of spectators. And the tradition never actually stopped,

10:31it just got a stadium. The time-honored pursuit of camel racing developed a new following in the

10:371970s. That's when it went from a practical desert skill to an organized spectator sport with real

10:43infrastructure behind it. During the winter, the coolest part of the year, races are held weekly at

10:48the Riyadh Stadium. The marquee event on the calendar has royal backing built right into its name.

10:54The annual King's Camel Race, begun in 1974, is one of the sport's most important contests and attracts

11:01animals and riders from throughout the region. It's not a small regional curiosity anymore.

11:06Competitors travel across the Gulf just to take part. What's interesting is how this tradition sits

11:12alongside a completely different, much more modern sports infrastructure that Saudi Arabia built around

11:18it. The government of Saudi Arabia has encouraged sports and athletics by constructing sports and

11:23recreation facilities in all major urban areas. And the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee was organized

11:29in 1964 and was recognized internationally the following year. Camel racing didn't get pushed

11:35aside by that modernization. It got folded into it, with dedicated stadiums and scheduled seasons,

11:41just like any other national sport. The animals themselves remain deeply tied to Bedouin heritage,

11:47even outside the racetrack. Camel milk, camel meat, and camel ownership still carry status in parts

11:53of Saudi society the way they always have. A family's herd was once its wealth, and while oil

11:59changed the economics of the country, it didn't erase that cultural weight. Beauty pageants for camels,

12:05breeding competitions, and massive cash prizes for prized racing, camels have become their own

12:10subculture within the kingdom. Proof that this isn't a relic being kept alive out of nostalgia. People are

12:16still genuinely obsessed with it. Winter in Saudi Arabia now has a rhythm built partly around camel racing

12:22season, the same way it has one built around falconry season. Families load up and drive out

12:27to watch, betting nothing more than pride on whose animal crosses the line first. It's a tradition that

12:33required almost no reinvention to survive into the present. It just needed an audience, and it got one.

12:39Walk through any Saudi city today, from the oldest neighborhoods of Jeddah to the glass towers of

12:44Riyadh, and you'll still see the same silhouette that's been worn for generations. Traditional dress in

12:49Saudi Arabia isn't a special occasion costume. It's daily wear, and that's exactly why it counts as a

12:56living tradition, rather than a museum exhibit. Saudis prefer traditional clothes to western styles of

13:02dress, and generally wear modern adaptations of traditional designs, since the loose, flowing

13:07traditional garments are practical for the kingdom's hot, windswept climate, while symbolizing

13:12the Islamic ideal of modesty. Function and identity are wrapped into the same piece of fabric.

13:18For men, the outfit has very specific parts, each with its own name and purpose. Men wear an ankle-length

13:24shirt of wool or cotton known as a thob, and on their heads, they wear a large square of cotton

13:29guttra

13:29that is folded crossways over a skullcap cufia, held in place with a cord circlet igal. There's an

13:36outer layer too, reserved for more formal moments. The flowing full-length outer cloak, bisht, generally made

13:42of wool or camel hair, completes the outfit, and in the early days the bisht was also used as a

13:47blanket

13:48while traveling. That detail says a lot, this clothing wasn't designed for looks first. It was designed to

13:54keep someone alive in the desert, and the look came second. Women's traditional dress carries its own

13:59regional variation and history. Women's traditional attire, varying by region, has included colorful

14:05abayas, embroidered dresses, and intricate jewelry. And these garments not only provided practical

14:11protection in harsh environments, but also carried meanings of identity and belonging. Among Bedouin

14:17communities specifically, the jewelry told its own story. Among Bedouin, women's clothing is often quite

14:23ornate, and has traditionally consisted of a beautiful panoply of handcrafted silver jewelry. The

14:29everyday black abaya most people picture when they think of Saudi women's clothing has its own simple

14:34logic. Women customarily wear a black outer cloak, abaya, over their dress, which may well be modern

14:40in style. That word may well be modern matters, abayas today come in countless cuts and fabrics,

14:46with embroidery and design choices that shift with fashion trends. Even while the basic garment itself

14:51stays recognizably rooted in the same tradition it's always been. What makes this tradition genuinely alive,

14:58rather than preserved enamorer, is that it keeps absorbing change without disappearing.

15:02Young Saudis blend traditional garments with global fashion constantly, and abaya with modern tailoring,

15:09a thobe cut in a slimmer, more contemporary style. The bones of the tradition never leave.

15:14Only the styling around it shifts generation to generation, exactly the way clothing traditions are

15:20supposed to evolve if they're going to survive at all. The last tradition on this list isn't a dance,

15:25a drink, or a piece of clothing, it's words, and the instinct to open your home to a stranger.

15:30Both have survived in Saudi Arabia in ways that still shape daily life. Poetry has occupied a

15:36central place in Arabian culture for longer than almost anything else on this list. Poetry occupies

15:42a central place in Saudi culture, especially in Najd and the Arabian deserts where verses were recited

15:48around campfires and at gatherings known as the Duwan of the Arabs. Poetry preserved history,

15:53chronicled battles, and praised letters. Before there was widespread literacy, poetry was the archive.

16:00It's how battles got remembered and how leaders got judged by the generations that followed them.

16:05That tradition attached itself directly to the kingdom's founding figure. King Abdulaziz himself

16:11was celebrated in poems that captured his courage, wisdom, and vision. And this oral tradition ensured that

16:17the values of bravery, loyalty, and unity would be remembered long after the battles had passed.

16:22The specific regional style, Nabadi poetry, still carries that same function today. Oral poetry and

16:29Nabadi poetry in the first instance has been across the centuries a means of preserving history, story,

16:35and imagination. You'll still hear it recited at weddings, tribal gatherings, and folded right into

16:40performances like the Arda, where the chanting and swordplay move together as one act. Then there's the

16:45custom that ties every single tradition on this list together. Hospitality toward guests, especially

16:51strangers arriving for pilgrimage. This one has had to adapt the most, and it's worth being honest

16:56about that. The tradition of hosting pilgrims in Mecca's homes has died out in recent years,

17:01with Saudi authorities embarking on an infrastructural expansion project that has

17:06increased accommodation options. But many of the city's residents still remember the centuries-old custom.

17:12One Mecca resident put it simply, recalling growing up hosting pilgrims directly in the family home,

17:18and calling it a beautiful custom worth remembering. But the instinct behind that tradition didn't

17:24vanish just because hotels replaced spare bedrooms. It got redirected into something new. While some

17:30practices die out, younger ones are coming into play, including a state-led initiative by the education

17:36ministry that has dispatched hundreds of Mecca's school children to help with Hatch. With tasks

17:41including assisting wheelchair-bound pilgrims and guiding non-Arabic speakers to holy sites. A 17-year-old

17:48student volunteering during Hajj described it as simply finishing what people in his family had

17:53started generations earlier. That's really the through-line across all six of these, the Arda,

17:58the coffee ritual, falconry, camel racing, traditional dress, and this culture of welcome and remembrance through

18:04poetry. None of them survived by staying frozen. The sword dance moved from battlefield to ballroom.

18:11The coffee ceremony moved from Bedouin tents into modern cafes. Falconry picked up auctions and wildlife

18:18regulation. Camel racing got a stadium. Clothing got modern tailoring. And hosting pilgrims turned into

18:25teenagers volunteering at Hajj instead of families opening spare rooms. The forms bend. The instinct

18:32underneath them hasn't gone anywhere.

6 Saudi Traditions That Are Still Alive Today

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