There are certain things about Saudi Arabia that really make it seem out of this world. To list the obvious: woman are not allowed to drive, shops close five times a day for prayer time, there are no cinemas, no bars, and restaurants have two different sections: one for families (men with woman) and a section for single men.
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Bilboard in Saudi Arabia.
When it comes to visual communication, there are also some oddities that are unique to Saudi Arabia. One can say that generally the visual culture is being shaped by how much is allowed by law and that which is considered to be un-islamic or insensitive to social norms.
In outdoor adverting showing the faces of people within ads is problematic because of its link to aniconism and the fear of idolatry (meaning that it is prohibited to graphically represent figures of people or animals). So in order to deal with this notion the solution
most commonly used is to pixelate the eyes or cover them entirely. In previous years another solution used to tackle aniconism in school books was to draw a line across the necks in illustrations of humans and animals.
t3_magazine.jpgTranslations extend beyond text to include images.
Images of women are not allowed in outdoor ads or billboards. When it comes to showing women in magazines or indoor graphics, the woman have to be dressed conservatively. In some situations where products are imported, like western magazines, pictures of woman not dressed according to Saudi standards are censored by covering their skin with black marker pens, or by digitally adding more clothing.
Other things that are usually censored include non-Islamic religious symbols, alcohol and drugs. However, restrictions on visual expression are not only limited to the superficial qualities but also to the concepts. So any concepts that touch on either sexual, political, or religious subjects are considered taboo.
Picture 6.pngHopeless cases; the old-fashioned censor's marker attacks.
However, the current laws and methods of handling visual communication in Saudi is something that is changing, just as the people and the social norms are changing. Twenty years ago, the average Saudi was somewhat isolated from the rest of the world. Everything from the media to education and information was completely controlled by the government and religious institution. Today the current generation are far more aware of what is going in the world around them by means of the internet, satellite television, and the pursuit of higher education abroad. The government itself has also stepped forward to encourage the youth by providing full scholarships and financial support to any Saudi national who wishes to study overseas.
The boundaries and laws of visual communication were constructed by the previous generation of conservatives who were in control of the ministries of information and communications. That previous generation is currently being replaced by a new generation of visually savvy, globally informed Saudi youth who are drawing ideas from all around the world and reinterpreting them for their own culture and society.
