Saudi Arabia is located on the Arabian Peninsula and is a theocratic monarchy that follows Sharia law and the five pillars of Islam. It was historically a poor desert country until the 1930s discovery of oil, which brought immense wealth but also the challenge of modernizing while preserving traditional Islamic cultural values. The country remains highly segregated by gender with women requiring male guardians, but wealth has increased western influences and consumerism alongside strict religious rules enforced by the religious police.