Wedding Rituals in Saudi Arabia
by Khaled Al-Omari, Majed Al-Rashidi, and Yazan Alruwaili

In Saudi Arabia, when men and women want to get married, they prefer to buy new clothes and throw out old ones. They consider this a new life, so the couple needs new clothes. On the wedding night, the man wears white traditional Saudi clothes, which are the white scarf on the head called "Ghutrah" and the dress called "Thoub" with a long block cover called a "Bisht". And, the woman wears a white fancy dress just like women in the U.S.

Before the wedding ceremony, the religious man- called an Alsheikh- announces that bride and the bridegroom are couple. Then the bridegroom goes to a party hall a special hall for wedding near his house. His friends follow him in their cars and hink their horns and flash their lights, so the people know that there is a wedding party.

During the wedding, before leaving with his father and relatives of the bride to a special room  for the couple, the man celebrates with his friends and relatives by dancing. The woman goes with her mother and relatives to the same room, so they are together to start a new life. People in KSA, celebrate wedding by dancing and eating for the whole night. In addition, each region in KSA has its special traditional dance. The morning after the wedding, the man gives a gift to his wife such as some gold accessories.

Wedding in Saudi Arabia differs from USA in that men are responsible for paying all costs of the wedding. However, in the US usually the bride family suppose to pay for the ceremony. People of KSA, particularly women, may have parties for three days after the wedding.