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When Saudi newspapers first appeared online they were scarcely worth reading. What passed for news in those days was generally bland and uninformative – statements from the authorities assuring people that all was well and they had everything under control. The few really interesting news items tended to be written in such a cryptic way that it was difficult to make sense of them.
Scanning through the headlines of the Saudi Gazette the other day, it struck me how much has changed since then. I thought it would be an interesting exercise to look more closely at the local news from one day's issue, to see what sort of picture it gives of life in the kingdom today. So here goes ...
There are several stories about preparations for next month's Hajj. Almighty Allah has bestowed the kingdom with the honour of serving the pilgrims and we must work hard to ensure their safety and comfort, Prince Mishaal, the Emir of Makkah is quoted as saying. The prince, who was inspecting Hajj terminals at Jeddah airport where pilgrims have begun arriving, urged airport staff to "be hospitable and welcome pilgrims and process their passport work quickly".
However, the Saudi Gazette's main front page story reports the authorities are taking "penal action" against 4,100 "illegal" pilgrims, some of whom apparently had fake visas or were trying to return to the kingdom after being deported.
The report also says 80 residential buildings offered as accommodation for pilgrims have been declared unfit for use and that supposedly low-cost Hajj companies have been jacking up their prices.
Another hajj-related story complains that formerly "glittering" road signs intended to guide pilgrims around Makkah "have lost their shine due to road accidents and other vagaries of nature" and some of them are in tatters.
In the Shoura Council (the royally-appointed quasi parliament), members have been discussing a draft audio-visual media law. Some, apparently, want it to be less restrictive while others want it to be more restrictive:
"One member pointed out that some articles of the law put more restrictions on the media work in the Kingdom while another member underlined the need for reviewing it in a way keeping pace with the contemporary age and its requirements. Members also aired their concern whether there is any provision in the law pertaining to the means of social media like twitter. A member called for including an article to control media, especially to prevent false stories and rumours."
Riyadh's Special Criminal Court sentenced two men to death and 13 others to between 14 and 35 years in prison for terrorism offences. Those sentenced to death, the Gazette says, "were involved in armed confrontation with the security forces when the forces raided their hideout at the King Fahd Hospital residential compound in Abu Areesh region. The shootout resulted in the killing of three terrorists and one security man and injuries to 12 others."
There's bad news for many motorists: the government has ordered the recall of more than 320,000 Toyota cars in the kingdom "due to a malfunction in the brake smart stop system and addressing the problem of cruise controls". The authorities are also cracking down on dodgy car dealers. Five firms have been fined for "publishing illegal promotional ads in the media, which included seasonal offers on cars without clarification of the details, or giving clear price offer".
One of the most interesting stories of the day concerns Abdullatif al-Asheikh, head of the unpopular haia (religious police) who told journalists in Madinah that 20 members of his force are "working against him". Some of them have been dismissed and "he is working on the removal of others", the paper says.
Asheikh, who has been assigned the near-impossible task of cleaning up the religious police, is also quoted as saying he has more power than a government minister and can fire any employee if the need arises. A reader's comment below the article accuses him of "absolute arrogance", saying "he should not compare his powers with that of the ministers".
Short opinion articles in the paper from members of the public often raise neglected issues. Today there's one from a wheelchair user noting the lack of provision for people with special needs. He cites the example of a court with no lift, where a disabled woman had to be carried up to the fifth floor to meet a judge. "Her sons and the other bystanders said the judge should have come down to meet her instead of subjecting her to this humiliating scenario."
Another opinion article discusses a recent report from the interior ministry about drug arrests which it describes as "a wake-up call for everyone":
"According to the report, over 1,197 people involved in drugs, 741 Saudi smugglers and another 741 drug peddlers from over 35 nationalities were arrested and drugs worth over SR1.8 billion were confiscated. All types of drugs, including amphetamines, hashish, heroin and new types that many have never heard of before were seized."
The "war on drugs" figures in a news item too. Some 300,000 illicit qat bushes are said to have been removed from mountainous areas of Jazan province and the authorities have now ordered the removal of 4,493 more. Citizens are said to be co-operating with the authorities over this.
Elsewhere in Jazan, which neighbours Yemen, border guards discovered 176 guns concealed in the fuel tank of a Land Cruiser. "The Saudi driver of the vehicle has been arrested and is under investigation."
In other crime news, 17 officials in the Eastern Province's passport department have been convicted of taking bribes.
There are several stories about Saudi women. In al-Ahsa, 75 women have been given certificates for IT skills after completing a course under the unemployment assistance scheme. Meanwhile, a ruling from the Supreme Judicial Council which seems to be a step forward says that divorced women can become legal guardians of their children if they have been awarded custody.
In Jeddah, the Saudi Society for the Care of Widows and Divorcees has decided to join a government campaign for road safety (which is a huge issue in the kingdom). "They took action," the paper says, "because accidents are the single biggest reason why women become widows."
Indeed, accidents also make up a fair proportion of the Gazette's news coverage:
Undoubtedly the most bizarre story of the day concerns a video clip circulating online which appears to show a Saudi preparing lunch. A small baby is placed in a large cooking pot along with some vegetables, and the pot is then placed on a stove:
"The head of the [Saudi] Human Rights Commission, Khalid al-Fakhri, described the clip as a 'gruesome' violation of the baby's rights.
"He said under no circumstances a baby could be used in such a manner to make people laugh. The official called for anyone who has information about those responsible for the recording to report the matter to the concerned authorities urgently."
Posted by Brian Whitaker
Wednesday, 17 September 2014
