Saudi Arabia before 1940 ? Who can tell us ?

Question

I mean daily life : electricity , water , food , cominications ....

Answer 1

Like a third world nation. Oil was only discovered in 1932 and the price of oil was very cheap since the US was the largest producer then

Answer 2

life was very basic and primitive, yet very good and happy

food was basics, transportation was basic, very little cars, donkeys were used a lot, many houses (including my grand father house) had no electricity. my father used to go out in the street at night at makkah to study on the light from the street.

however, it is amazing with the oil discovery, how the people have built the country. those same people who used to ride the donkeys, became big businessmen and they were very hard working people (in contrary to the typical arab image in the western media). that false image was focusing on the mis-behaving of some of the reckless attitudes or the rich.

social life was great. there were special types of bonds. i hear these stories from not very old people (like in their 50 now):

- you go in the morning to buy grocery from small store, he will refuse to sell to you and send you to his nighbour (store). he says, my nighbour didn't have good morning yet. Meaning, his nighbour didn't have any single customer yet.

- when a man travels outside the city, his wife will leave the basket in front of the door. any man passing by, will realize the man is travelling, he will pick the basket, buy vegetable and meat from the market and then drop if back. the lady does not even know who did this favor. it was part of the social bonding.

- when a lady bring a child, her nighbour will cook meals for her and her family for 40 days (40 days is considered the right time for woman to recover after giving birth)