Working Hard or Hardly Working?

I’ve now spent 2 days working in Saudi and while I can’t write specifically about our project, I do have some general early observations about the Saudi work-life balance. From what I have seen, a typically work day for a Saudi is from ~9:30AM to ~3:30PM. Few women work and since they aren’t allowed to drive, their husbands leave early to help them run errands. Work is interrupted throughout the day for prayer, and holidays and vacations occur quite frequently. Ramadan alone essentially shuts down the country for the better part of a month. Like any place in the world, I am certain the typical work week varies depending on the person and profession. That said, while I don’t mean to make any generalizations, based on my limited experience in Saudi (and in the Middle East more broadly) this isn’t a “work first” culture.

I don’t mean for these perceptions to be critical. It’s simply a different lifestyle than what I as an American have grown accustomed too. This is a part of the world where God and family are truly placed above anything else. It’s an approach to life that many Americans may profess too, but few actually live out. Those are my sociological opinions on the matter.

Economically speaking, it isn’t a lifestyle that is conducive to becoming a significant player in the world economy. In that regard, the country’s ambitions and actions seem to be out of line. There is no real sense of urgency or drive, at least in the work force. This is in stark contrast to other parts of the world. I have some experience working with people in Indian and China and their approach to work – and more broadly speaking, economic progress - is on the opposite end of the spectrum. It’s no wonder they’ve had significant success in recent years.

There is no right or wrong way on this matter. It really comes down to priorities. However, I find it hard to believe a country can maintain this type of work-life culture and ascend to the top of the ranks of world economic powers. I guess only time will tell.