The British government faces growing calls to review its lucrative arms sales to Saudi Arabia. Yesterday the international charity Oxfam accused Britain of being “one of the most significant violators” of the Arms Trade Treaty.
The UK’s arms sales are, at least in theory, also… Read more
Archive: saudi arabia
In a TV interview today, Yemen's ex-president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, appeared to invite Russian military intervention in the country's conflict. He talked of reactivating old Yemeni agreements with the Soviet Union and offfered "all the facilities" of Yemen's bases, ports and airports to Russia.… Read more
During the 16 months that Saudi Arabia has been waging war in Yemen there has been little discussion of the kingdom's media strategy, though in some ways it is almost as important as the military strategy. In the article below, Sebastian Sons and Toby Matthiesen argue that the kingdom is… Read more
A verse from the Qur'an says:
“Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because God has given the one more [strength] than the other, and because they support them from their means.”
In Saudi Arabia this forms the basis for a system where all women must be assigned a male… Read more
The number of job losses at the Binladin construction firm in Saudi Arabia has now reached 89,000, according to company sources cited by al-Watan newspaper.
Some 77,000 expatriate workers have been dismissed and issued with exit visas – an increase on the 50,000 figure reported … Read more
Newspapers in Saudi Arabia are reporting that the kingdom's largest construction firm, the Saudi Binladin Group, has axed 50,000 employees – thought to be about a quarter of its workforce.
The move comes just days after the king's favourite son, Prince Mohammed by Salman, announced ambitious… Read more
Saudi Arabia, elected to the UN Human Rights Council three years ago in dubious circumstances, continues to play a negative role in the organisation's affairs. During the most recent session of the council, last month, it took a stand against protecting women, children and sexual minorities… Read more
There's a story told in the hadith that the Prophet Muhammad once saw a boy with a partly-shaved head – and disapproved. "Shave all of it or leave all of it," he is reported to have said.
Fourteen centuries later, this little incident is causing ructions on Saudi Arabia's soccer pitches… Read more
This year's Riyadh Book Fair, held in the Saudi capital earlier this month, acknowledged the war in Yemen with a military theme. Hala Aldosari writes:
Guests browsing publishers’ stalls passed through “barracks row” honouring the Saudi troops camped on the border with Yemen. At the… Read more
After waging war in Yemen for almost a year, Saudi Arabia is gradually beginning to realise what many said at the outset: that military victory is impossible.
A few days ago the Saudis took the previously unthinkable step of engaging in direct talks with the Houthis, their principal foe… Read more
ARAB ART ONLINE: Susan Hefuna: Al Sabr Gamil (Patience is Beautiful) 2007. Ink stained on wood 140 x 170 cm. More information | Click to enlarge
