Saudi Arabia

Play in Saudi Arabia, as in any affluent country, can be viewed in a series of dichotomies: urban or rural, male or female, pretend or using purchased items, and religious or secular. A strong influence of Islamic values is seen in the fact that the sports and outdoor play of urban boys and girls tend to be segregated. In addition to organized sports leagues, pick-up games of football, basketball, and netball are common evening and weekend activities in parking lots and quieter streets, as traffic and heat permit. Participants in these street games are male, and while organized sports exist for women, they enjoy none of the massive popularity of their male counterparts. Segregated swimming times at municipal pools make water sports popular for women, in addition to tennis courts and other private access areas where girls in cities may play, providing their families can cover the fees.

However, in rural villages and in desert communities, boys and girls can be seen playing street ball games, riding bikes, and body surfing down dunes.

Toys in Saudi Arabia run the usual gamut from soft and cuddly creations to board and card games and electronic and computer pastimes, with every conventional possibility in between. The two main marketing influences on toy culture are China, with many battery-operated offerings involving music and mechanized moving parts, and educational or entertainment-affiliated items from the West, usually meaning Europe, but also encompassing the United States. Toys are easily purchased at the many international chains popular in Saudi Arabia, such as The Early Learning Center. Electronic games can often be found on the Saudi market before the European one, given the country's wealth and geographic situation.

In the 1990s, the politics of the Islamic/Christian world had a visible impact on urban play, according to eyewitnesses. Toys that promoted Islamic values became increasingly popular, including Fulla, an “alternative” Barbie doll. With darker features than her blonde cousin, Fulla's clothing includes prayer garments and offers the type of wardrobe any Saudi girl might have: clothes for home wear, and a hijab or other traditional covering for going out. Arabic cartoons feature Fulla preparing for exams and helping her mother with housework. Almost anything a young girl might enjoy can be purchased bearing the Fulla brand—including sports equipment.

Also beginning in the 1990s, electronic toys that quote Quranic verses or offer special prayers increased in sales. At the same time, the Saudi government developed a play policy that encouraged traditional pastimes in schools, promoting running and chasing games (such as What Time Is it, Mr. Wolf), games using stones and counters, and the acting out of traditional stories as part of the Saudi heritage for children.

Men in Saudi Arabia, in both urban and rural settings, often gather to play Dominos, Chess, Backgammon, and a game where counters are flicked against each other in the many coffee shops and Majlis where men will get [Page 625]together. Educated women in urban locations have access to quite sophisticated computer games and activities. They also may enjoy more leisure time than less educated or non-Saudi women; it is common for non-Saudis to work in domestic service, leaving the wealthier women to enjoy such activities as riding motorized scooters in private courtyards or playing computer games. Even in middle-class housing complexes, pools and basketball courts abound and are used in segregation by both sexes. As educational opportunities have developed for nomadic children, access to toys has also increased, while expectations of traditional chores, such as caring for animals, have been given to domestic help. Hence Saudis have time, money, and material possessions to enjoy leisure time to an extent not found in many other nations.

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