The cultural setting of Saudi Arabia is Arab and Islam, and is often religious, conservative, traditional, and family oriented.

Some of the famous cities of the past were Jeddah, Tabuk, Al-Ula, Jubbah, Madain Saleh, Riyadh, Tayma, Dumat al-Jandal, Al-Ahsa, Thaj, Tarout Island, Qaryat al-Faw, Al-Ukhdud, Ha'il, Qatif, Al-Yamamah, Mecca, Medina, Taif, Aflaj, Manfouha, Tirmidah, and Al-Qassim Region.

There are prominent Saudis (mostly Hejazis) of various origins including Bosniak (e.g. Deputy Minister of Touris, Human Capabilities Development Mohammed Bushnaq), Egyptian, Hadremi (e.g. Bin Laden family), Jawi (e.g. former minister of Hajj and Umrah Muhammad Saleh Benten), Turkish (e.g. Dr. Muhammad Khashoggi), Bukhari (e.g. footballer Amin Bukhari) and South Asian (e.g. footballer Abdulbasit Hindi).

They remain a significant and very influential minority of the indigenous Saudi population, though many who call themselves "badu" (nomad) no longer engage in "traditional tribal activities and settled.

"[15] According to authors Harvey Tripp and Peter North, Bedouin make up most of the judiciary, religious leaders and National Guard (which protects the throne) of the country.

[16] Afro-Saudi activists complain that they are not given media representation and are unable to find opportunities to improve their social condition.

[24] However, in March 2018, the Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman claimed that women could choose what to wear in public, provided it met certain standards, when he stated, "The decision is entirely left for women to decide what type of decent and respectful attire she chooses to wear".

[25][26] Until late 2019, all women were required to wear an abaya, a long cloak that covers all but the hands, hair, and face in public.

Foreign women in Saudi Arabia are "encouraged" by the religious police to wear an abaya, or at least cover their hair, according to the New York Times.

[28] Authors Harvey Tripp and Peter North encourage women to wear an abaya in "more conservative" areas of the kingdom, i.e. in the interior.

More recently, Western dress, particularly T-shirts and jeans have become quite common leisurewear, particularly in Jeddah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province.

[38][39] The large number of foreign workers living in Saudi Arabia (7.5 million expatriates in 2013[40]) includes non-Muslims.

The classical Arabic historians tell us that in the year 20 after the hijra (Muhammad's move from Mecca to Medina), corresponding to 641 of the Christian calendar, the Caliph Umar decreed that Jews and Christians should be removed from Arabia to fulfill an injunction the Prophet uttered on his deathbed: "Let there not be two religions in Arabia."

The process was also gradual rather than sudden, and there are reports of Jews and Christians remaining in Khaybar and Najran for some time after Umar's edict.

According to the Hanbali school of Islamic jurisprudence, accepted by both the Saudis and the declaration's signatories, for a non-Muslim even to set foot on the sacred soil is a major offense.

In the rest of the kingdom, non-Muslims, while admitted as temporary visitors, were not permitted to establish residence or practice their religion.

According to the government of the United Kingdom: The public practice of any form of religion other than Islam is illegal; as is an intention to convert others.

However, the Saudi authorities accept the private practice of religions other than Islam, and you can bring a Bible into the country as long as it is for your personal use.