Social Arabia: social media is transforming the lives of young people in Saudi Arabia, one of the most conservative societies in the world.

• Author: Hubbard, Ben
• Position: INTERNATIONAL

For many young Saudis, life is all about their apps.

They don't have free speech, so they debate on "Twitter. They can't flirt at the mall, so they do it on WhatsApp and Snapchat. Since women are banned from driving, they get rides from car services like Uber and Careem. And in a country where shops close for Muslim prayers five times a day, there are apps that not only issue a call to prayer from your pocket but also calculate whether you can reach, say, the nearest Dunkin' Donuts before it shuts.

Confronted with an austere version of Islam and rigid social codes that sharply restrict their lives, young people in Saudi Arabia are increasingly relying on social media to express themselves, make money, and even meet potential spouses.

Many of the country's 31 million people, in fact, have multiple smartphones and spend hours online each day. This explosion of digital communication has been revolutionary because it's taking place in one of the world's most tradition-bound places.

"On one level, it looks like any modern city," says Janet Breslin Smith, who lived in the capital, Riyadh, for five years when her husband was the U.S. ambassador. "But as your eyes gaze down to people walking, it almost takes you back to biblical times. People are dressed as they have for thousands of years."

One of the most powerful nations in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is an important U.S. ally in the region. Its influence comes from two factors: It has more than 25 percent of the world's known oil reserves; and it's the birthplace of Islam and the guardian of its two most sacred sites, in Mecca and Medina.

A strict fundamentalist interpretation of Islam known as Wahhabism governs all aspects of life, with the Koran and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad effectively serving as a constitution.

Unrelated men and women are completely segregated from one another. Girls and boys attend separate schools, and separate classes in college. Females must wear black head-to-toe coverings called abayas in public once they hit puberty. When they go out, they must be accompanied by a male relative. Religious police zealously enforce these rules, arresting and sometimes flogging violators.

Some Freedom on Twitter

The nation is a near-absolute monarchy led by King Salman, a member of the Al Saud family that has ruled Saudi Arabia since 1932. A push for reform resulted in local council elections being held for the first time in 2005, but the councils are largely symbolic and have no real power. Women, who in recent years have been pushing for basic rights like driving, will be allowed to vote in local elections this month (see "A Push for Women's Rights," p. 10).

But it's technology rather than political reform that's rocking the conservative culture of Saudi Arabia.

The nation has the ideal conditions for a social media boom: speedy Internet, disposable income from oil wealth, and a youthful population--more than half of Saudis are under age 30--with few social options. Unlike China and Iran, Saudi Arabia hasn't blocked sites like Facebook and Twitter, although it doesn't tolerate commentary against the government or Islam. The Saudi monarchy appears to have decided that the benefits of social media as an outlet for young people outweigh the risk that it will be used to mobilize political opposition.

For now, some of the biggest changes brought by technology have been in how young Saudis find a spouse. In a society where dating--or even friendship between boys and girls--is forbidden, marriages have long been arranged by families. In fact, most Saudi girls have traditionally met their husbands for the first time when they became engaged. Now, social media is enabling romance to spring up without violating traditions outright.

When Raqad Alabdali, a conservative 22-year-old from a Riyadh suburb, made some melancholy posts on Twitter not long ago, a man she didn't know responded to her with a private message. They were soon messaging constantly.

"He kept checking on me to make sure I wasn't sad anymore, and then we tweeted with each other daily," she says.

They exchanged phone numbers for an occasional call, and she eventually sent him a photo of herself unveiled, in a white dress with bare shoulders and eye makeup on her face. He said he wanted to marry her, so his mother called hers. The couple is planning a family meeting to make then-engagement formal, Alabdali says. It will be their first time in the same room.

"I don't have any doubt that he'll marry me or is serious about me," she says. Why so sure? Her older brother and his wife met on Facebook.

'A Window to the Outside World'

The boom in social media has also created opportunities for young Saudi entrepreneurs. Ali Kalthami is in charge of content for a company called Telfazll, which produces comedy videos for YouTube. The company now employs more than 30 people and has branched out into commercials, games, and talent management for its actors.

"A lot of people are stuck to their phones--and really bored, " says Kalthami.

In a country where movie theaters are banned, YouTube and Internet...