· March, 2009

Stories about Saudi Arabia from March, 2009

Saudi Arabia: Censoring Skin

  29 March 2009

From Saudi Arabia, Susie describes the ‘trouble’ censors go through to ‘cover up’ women's skin: “Certainly seeing all that tempting erotic skin, and coloring in all those feminine body parts must have some kind of perverse effect on these men who have been entrusted with keeping the entire country out...

Saudi Arabia: A Well-Documented Sandstorm

  16 March 2009

Armed with their cameras and video cameras, bloggers in Saudi Arabia documented a massive sandstorm which covered the capital Riyadh, bringing visibility to only a few metres and life to a standstill.

Saudi Arabia: Forty Lashes for a 75-year-old Woman for ‘Mingling’ with Men

  16 March 2009

A 75-year-old Syrian woman was sentenced to 40 lashes, four months imprisonment and deportation from Saudi Arabia, for having two unrelated men in her house. The two men were also charged with ‘mingling' with an unrelated woman and sentenced to prison and lashes, sparking criticism for the country's judiciary and the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. Saudi Arabia's bloggers speak up.

Arab World: Culture, Culture Everywhere

  12 March 2009

Across the Gulf various cultural festivals and literary events have been taking place in recent weeks, and in this post we hear from some of the region's bloggers who have attended them. However culture is not a politics-free zone; even a book fair or a cultural festival can be a source of tension...

Egypt: Disaster Ferry Owner Finally Guilty!

  12 March 2009

The life of each one of the 1,000 plus Egyptians killed when the Salam 89 ferry sank in 2006 is worth about 11 hours in prison for ferry owner, former lawmaker and business tycoon Mamdouh Ismail, who has been sentenced in absentia to seven years in jail for “involuntary slaughter,” say Egyptian bloggers.

Middle East: Women Looking for a Cause to Celebrate

  10 March 2009

Female bloggers from across the Middle East joined hands in marking the International Women's Day with posts reflecting on the occasion and celebrating the lives and achievements of women who have touched them. In Saudi Arabia, American Bedu admits that while many women in the kingdom may not even be...

Saudi Arabia: Women can ride horses

  8 March 2009

Susie, an American married to a Saudi and living in Jeddah, takes her son to a riding school and notes: “Although there are many things that women cannot do here in Saudi Arabia, horseback riding is not one of them. Private equestrian centers are places where women are free to...

Israel: Saudi Woman Driver Arrested

  6 March 2009

Aussie Dave from Israel reports that a woman in Saudi Arabia has been arrested for .. driving a car. “I will resist making any women driver jokes since I don’t want to obfuscate my disgust over the horrendous treatment of women in Saudi Arabia and other Muslim or Arab countries,”...