I had an interesting, albeit infuriating, conversation with a conservative friend of mine last week (yes, I do have conservative friends, can you believe that?). My friend said Saudis should not respond to the calls to protest posted on Facebook because if they do they would be ungrateful to their country. I was gobsmacked. “Huh?! [...]
Category Archives: Arab
Egypt uprising, Wahabi numbers, Khashoggi, women in municipal elections, and other stuff
Sunday, February 6, 2011 – 23:48
The uprising continues in Egypt, where protesters in Tahrir Square remain defiant. Sandmonkey, one of the demonstrators, has two good blogposts that you should read. Many people have been asking me if what happened in Egypt could happen in Saudi Arabia. The short answer is no. Saudi Arabia, and the other five GCC countries, are [...]
Tunisia is Free
Friday, January 14, 2011 – 23:37
Today was a huge, huge day for Tunisia. After four weeks of street protests, president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali fled the country. This is probably the first time we witness an Arab leader toppled by his own people. Very happy for the Tunisian people, and very proud of them. I’m especially thrilled for my friends [...]
The Arab World Demographic Dilemma: Young, Unemployed, and Searching for a Voice
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 – 0:57
Arab youth confront daunting challenges, including a lack of economic opportunities, constraints on their freedom of expression, and the complex and shifting nature of their own Arab identity. How the Arab world meets these challenges will have significant ramifications for the Middle East and the world. This special panel discussion marks the release of America [...]
Saudi news, and then some
Tuesday, November 23, 2010 – 1:18
Women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia. But when they go outside the cities they usually get behind the wheel for fun. Sometimes, accidents happen. This week, a young woman in her twenties died along with three female friends when her car overturned outside Riyadh. King Abdullah arrived to the US on Monday [...]
Free Ali Abdulemam
Monday, September 6, 2010 – 12:11
I was shocked to learn that my friend Ali Abdulemam, a leading Bahraini blogger, was arrested yesterday by the Bahraini authorities for allegedly spreading “false news” on BahrainOnline.org portal, one of the most popular pro-democracy outlets in Bahrain. It is not the first time that Ali has been arrested for content published on his portal. [...]
Ahwak
Thursday, July 29, 2010 – 6:51
Although I was in Beirut six months ago, but I do miss this amazing city. There is something about this place that always makes me want to come back no matter how often I visit it. Soldier is full of Saudis these days, as it is always during the summer, but this is not the [...]
Robbery in skies, Routes of Arabia, Weddady’s response to Khouri
Tuesday, July 27, 2010 – 13:14
Have you heard of the Air France flight attendant who was arrested for robbing passengers? Muhammed al-Ahidib provides four reasons why this woman would not have been able to steal if she were working for Saudi Arabian Airline. Here is another good review for Routes d’Arabie, this time from Bloomberg. Nasser Weddady offers another fine [...]
