Global Voices · Citizen media stories about Saudi Arabia

Global Voices Advocacy's Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.

17 April 2017

#SaveDinaAli: Activists Call for Release of Saudi Woman Forcibly Sent Back to the Kingdom

Written by Mohammed Al Nemer · Human Rights

"If I go back to Saudi Arabia, I will be dead. Please help me, I am recording this video to help me and know that I am real and here."

12 March 2017

Indonesians Gleefully Welcome Saudi King, But Activists Are Wary of Riyadh's Influence

Written by Juke Carolina Rumuat · East Asia

"Saudi learns pluralism from Indonesia. We learn Wahhabism from Saudi. We're even," wrote a Twitter user during the visit.

21 February 2017

Unsurprisingly, Saudi Arabia's Politicians and Media Love Trump's Tough Talk on Iran

Written by Mohammed Al Nemer · North America

Some, however, warned that escalating tensions could end badly: "We live in the same region with Iran, any war on Iran means we all going to be devastated".

8 January 2017

Conflict in Yemen Takes Heavy Toll on Country's Children

Written by Viridiana Lopez · Yemen

"Hunger is the most dominant thought on Yemenis minds during this period."

27 December 2016

Saudi Arabia Promises to Stop Using British-Made Cluster Bombs in Yemen

Written by Viridiana Lopez · Latin America

Saudi Arabia has promised to stop using British-made cluster bombs, which are prohibited by the Convention on Cluster Munitions, in its air strikes in Yemen.

22 December 2016

Assaults on Rights Activists Harm Civil Society — And Saudi Arabia's Progress

Written by Afef Abrougui · Freedom of Speech

Saudi Arabia's ongoing crackdown on peaceful activism is depriving activists of their freedom and basic rights -- and it's costing the kingdom the work and creativity of its brightest reformists.

28 October 2016

Netizen Report: Protesters Flush SIMs, Set Fire to Modems in Saudi Telecom Boycott

Written by Netizen Report Team · Censorship

Global Voices Advocacy's Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.

24 October 2016

Saudi Mobile Data Quality Provokes National Protest Against Bad Service

Written by SMEX · Citizen Media

Saudi social media users are protesting against the nation's mobile network operators' bad service and the continued blocking of VoIP apps that are supposed to be available for free.

4 September 2016

Hundreds of Thousands Join Saudi Women-Led Campaign to End Male Guardianship in the Kingdom

Written by Zuhour Mahmoud · Citizen Media

Hundreds of thousands of online users have joined a Saudi women-lead campaign to end male guardianship in the kingdom.

25 August 2016

WikiLeaks: From Collateral Murder to Collateral Recklessness

Written by Tara · North America

From rape victims to democratic party donors, WikiLeaks' latest data dumps demonstrate a disturbing trend of publishing the personal information of private individuals.

19 July 2016

Iranian Hardliners Want to Stop Blocking Twitter — to Defeat Saudi Propaganda

Written by Mahsa Alimardani · Iran

Iranian hardliners, typically champions of Internet censorship, are calling on the government to stop blocking Twitter in order to counter Saudi Arabian propaganda against Iran.

10 April 2016

Egyptian President Sisi “Sells” Disputed Sanafir and Tiran Islands to Saudi Arabia

Written by Amira Al Hussaini · Egypt

Lawyers have filed complaints against the move, saying Sisi's decision to give up the Red Sea islands of Sanafir and Tarin, without approval from Parliament, is "unconstitutional."

22 March 2016

Indian Migrant Worker Arrested in Saudi Arabia For Denouncing Working Conditions on Facebook

Written by Rezwan · South Asia

"People stuck...in a country where they are treated worse than dogs, for years in very bad conditions, that's the reality 'necessary' for us to fuel our tanks. Infuriating and depressing."

28 February 2016

Saudi Arabia Sentences Twitter User to 10 Years in Prison and 2,000 Lashes for Apostasy

Written by Amira Al Hussaini · Censorship

Saudi Arabia has sentenced a Twitter user to 10 years in prison in addition to 2,000 lashes for publishing 600 tweets "which spread atheism" online.

20 February 2016

Thirty Saudi Religious Police Complete Course on How to Fight Black Magic

Written by Amira Al Hussaini · Humor

Thirty members of the Commission for the Protection of Virtue and Prevention of Vice completed a five-day course on how to fight black magic, identify sorcerers and even break their...