Archive: saudi arabia

22nd November 2009
By: Brian Whitaker
Two weeks after Prince Khaled bin Sultan announced that Saudi forces had “purged the mountains inside the kingdom” of Yemeni guerrillas, military operations in the border area arecontinuing with aerial bombardment by warplanes while troops on the ground search for “infiltrators” and hidden weapons… Read more
20th November 2009
By: Brian Whitaker
Writing in the Financial Times, Roula Khalaf calls for a rethink on Saudi policy towards Yemen, and the Houthi rebellion in particular. She argues that the Saudi bombing of Houthi positions is adding fuel to the fire and suggests the kingdom is “allowing its resentment of Iran to cloud its judgment… Read more
20th November 2009
By: Brian Whitaker
Overshadowed by the war in the north of Yemen, separatist violence continues at a lower level in the south.  A fuel truck was hijacked in al-Habilain district of Lahej province on Tuesday, according to government media. In Dhali’ (Dalea), also on Tuesday, a military supply vehicle was intercepted… Read more
17th November 2009
By: Brian Whitaker
It is now two weeks since Saudi forces first clashed with Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Jabal al-Dukhan (the “Mountain of Smoke”) which straddles the border. Since then, what at first looked like a minor skirmish has turned into a large-scale – and possibly long-term – military operation by the Saudis.… Read more
16th November 2009
By: Brian Whitaker
A young man from Qassim province in Saudi Arabia has been sentenced to eight months in jail with 300 lashes for meeting an unrelated woman. The couple, who have not been named, made contact online then met at a well-known restaurant in Riyadh, according to al-Jazirah newspaper (in Arabic). They… Read more
27th October 2009
By: Brian Whitaker
The king of Saudi Arab has "waived" a sentence of 60 lashes imposed on TV journalist Rozanna al-Yami, a government official announced yesterday. Ms Yami, 22, was thought to have been the first Saudi journalist sentenced to flogging in connection with her work. The case arose out of an LBC TV… Read more
19th October 2009
By: Brian Whitaker
Of all the many restrictions on life in Saudi Arabia that might reasonably be lifted, making it easier to buy and sell guns does not spring to mind as an obvious necessity – but the interior ministry seems to think otherwise. It has decided to allow anyone over 25 with a clean criminal record and a… Read more
13th October 2009
By: Brian Whitaker
Writing in today’s issue of Arab News, Walaa Hawari tells the shocking story of a mentally and physically disabled Saudi woman who was married off by her father for money – without her consent and to a man she had never met. The woman, identified by the name Fatima, suffered brain injuries in a car… Read more
12th October 2009
By: Brian Whitaker
A three-day workshop organised by the Saudi ministry of municipal and rural affairs is due to start in Jeddah today. Arab News reports: "The workshop aims at familiarising people on using healthy shaving tools, especially razor blades. And also the tools used in barbershops and ways to use them."… Read more
8th October 2009
By: Brian Whitaker
This has been widely covered elsewhere but, since I've discussed the case on this blog here and here, I'll just note it for the record: the "Jeddah Casanova" has been sentenced to five years in jail and 1,000 lashes. He is appealing. Posted by Brian Whitaker, 8 October 2009.