The climate of Saudi Arabia differs from one region to another due to its different terrain. In general, the climate is mostly hot in summer, cold & rainfall season in winter. The climate moderates on the western and south-western highlands. As for the central areas of the Kingdom, it has hot and dry summer and very cold and dry in winter. The temperature and humidity rises more in the coast, and it rains mostly in winter and spring. The rainfall is scarce for most regions except the south-western highlands, seasonal rainfall occurs in summer and is way heavier than other areas. The relative humidity rises on the coast and the western of the Kingdom highlands in most time of the year and decreases as we head into the interior.
Saudi Arabia's population is composed of villagers, city people and nomads. Pervading this triad, however, is the patrilineal kinship principle. Cities are not tribally organized, and the importance of kinship affiliation endures. Social stratification is more developed in the cities than elsewhere. Before the effects of oil were felt on the economy of the Kingdom, status was a matter of lineage and occupation rather than of wealth, and with the development of the oil industry, wealth and material position have acquired an additional social values.
The Kingdom's currency is the Saudi Riyal, which equals to 100 Halalah. The Saudi Riyal comes in different categories 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 Riyals. The metal coins, however, come in five categories 50 Halalah, 25 Halalah, 10 Halalah and 5 Halalah. The Kingdom's financial laws permit foreign currency exchanges.
Government sectors work from Sunday to Thursday. Friday and Saturday are the weekend holiday, and many of private companies operate over day and evening shifts during the weekdays. Markets and shopping malls are open for business throughout the whole week.
All offices and schools are closed on Eid Al Fitr, from the evening of the twenty-fifth day of Ramadan unill the fifth day of Shawwal; Eid Al Adha, the culmination of the Pilgrimage, from the fifth until the fifteenth day of the month of Dhu Al Hajjah; and the Saudi National Day on September 23rd.