Archive: saudi arabia
4th October 2009
The Saudi campaign against young men wearing low-waist jeans – which has already resulted in hundreds of arrests in Riyadh – has now spread to Madinah.
Police in the holy city, aided by the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, have begun apprehending youths who are “… Read more
1st October 2009
Saudi police, together with the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, have arrested more than 100 people at a mixed-gender party in the city of Taif.
“Women took off their abayas and danced and mixed with men,” one Saudi news website reported.
Meanwhile there is media… Read more
29th September 2009
The trial has begun in Jeddah of Mazen Abdul Jawad, the 32-year-old Saudi who bragged on Lebanese television about his sexual conquests. Three others, who have not been named, are also on trial with him, on charges of "publicising vice".
After an initial hearing, the case was adjourned to an… Read more
16th September 2009
Next week sees the official opening of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia,described as “a bridge between world cultures”.
The university, intended to promote international research, has been established by the king outside the control of the education… Read more
4th September 2009
Discrimination against Shia Muslims in the Sunni-dominated countries of the Middle East tends to attract less attention in the west than prejudice against Christians, Jews and Baha'is. Politics plays a part in that, of course, because of Shia Islam's associations with Iran.
I recently wrote about… Read more
26th August 2009
More news from the world's most sinful city. Following the arrests of the cross-dressing Filipinos, the scandal of thedancing bankers and the "devil-worship" at a heavy metal concert, Riyadh police announce that 807 people have been arrested during the past month for "disgusting" clothing and… Read more
5th August 2009
Whatever is the world coming to when you can’t get decent servants any more. Under the heading “Mission impossible”, the Saudi Gazette reports on the trials and tribulations of finding a housemaid for Ramadan. They expect so much money these days, and they don’t like staying up all night cooking… Read more
5th August 2009
The campaign by Saudi conservatives against Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, the liberal-minded multi-billionaire, has moved up a notch with calls to shut down LBC television’s operations in Saudi Arabia.
The Lebanese-based channel, which is 49% owned by Prince Alwaleed’s business empire, got into… Read more
1st August 2009
Shortly before dawn on Friday, Saudi security forces raided a “satanist ceremony” (i.e. a rock concert) at a private residential compound in Riyadh.
A number of Saudis, Syrians and others were arrested (it is not known how many) and all the equipment was seized, including cameras and computer… Read more
28th July 2009
This video contains images, as they say on TV, “that some viewers may find disturbing”. Or amusing. Either way, the YouTube clip is causing a stir in Saudi Arabia because it’s said to show male employees of SABB (part of the giant HSBC banking corporation) having a knees-up in Riyadh.
For Saudis… 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
