Modernisation without Westernisation in Saudi Arabia: Perceptions of the Country’s Urban Dwellers

Abstract

This paper investigates the various changes and innovations implemented by the Government of Saudi Arabia, especially over the last two decades, in order to examine whether the country is undergoing modernisation without at the same time adopting Westernisation. We also investigated the differences in the perceptions towards modernisation and Westernisation between genders. Generally, from the results of our questionnaire survey, involving 264 respondents, we found that Saudi urban dwellers are now more receptive to both the concepts of modernisation and Westernisation as long as they do not contradict the country’s religious values and/or culture. Further, we found that females desire more individual rights and equal employment opportunities than their male counterparts. The findings also indicate a significant difference in the effect of age on the urban style and occupational structure of modernisation between males and females. Some implications of the findings in terms of practice and suggestions for future research are also provided.