I think >>857507 hit the nail on the head.
When the Ottoman Empire was destroyed in WWI & Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) established Turkey as a nation, he changed a lot about their culture. Their alphabet was changed from from Arabic (?) to Latin letters, and he mandated that his citizens change their dress from the traditional garbs, to more modernized, Western wear. The purpose? To acclimate to the times, and to have his people ne more respected in the civilized world. Saudi Arabia may just be headed in that direction.