Pulse of the Saudi Blogosphere · Global Voices
Ahmed Al-Omran

Football and ice hockey, hijab and fatwas, bloggers meetups, and much much more from the Saudi blogosphere this week. Let's go…
Starting with Swalfy, who did not seem so surprised that Riyadh Gitex, which supposed to be the biggest IT exhibition in Saudi Arabia does not has a website. He went to attend the exhibition, but he could not find a parking space, so he decided to leave. “I decided to leave and come on another year, maybe Gitex 3000, when we don't have to leave our houses to watch the latest technologies,” he said (Arabic).
Saudi Future takes the time to tell us about the different kinds of punishments for students in high school. “Yes people, you will one day get caught, so you must face… the punishment,” she said.
Wearing hijab inappropriately is something that Leeno is not so happy about. She wrote: “I have nothing but admiration for women that are veiled, especially in a non-muslim country where stigmata continue to exist. However the 1/2 hijab syndrome is mind boggling to me.”
Starlit_Saudi is worried over young people who lie about their age. “Anyone in their 20s and changing there age? Only in Saudi,” she wrote, and then asks: “When should you start lying about your age?”
Moving to sports, the Saudi national football team is starting a training camp in Holland this week to prepare for the FIFA World Cup this summer. In his latest post, Shahed has an interesting opinion on the team's chances in the competition:
A large number of people believe Saudi will be last in the group, but so why is Tunisia so excited in watching this team. Whenever there is a game between two arab teams, its not about who’s stronger and who’s weaker because both team has an equal chance of winning. I believe the Saudis are capable of going past the Tunisian in the first game.
Fedo also has a post on the Saudi trip to Germany, but with a different take. he says: “Oh, well, guys, all I have for you is an irritatingly-wide smile and two thumbs up. Good luck!”
Nzingha is excited over the opening of an ice rink where she lives. “Who would think of an ice rink in the middle of the desert? Certainly not me,” she wrote. After telling us the whole story, she says: “I do admit I still find the whole idea of Ice Hockey in Saudi Arabia a bit amusing.” Meanwhile, after living abroad for some time, Sweet Anger is not really amused by living in Riyadh. “the only thing people do for fun is shop, eat, or sit at home watching TV?! Oh people come on, you're telling me no one thought of something recreational for women? There is no where to go bowling, no place to play snooker and hardly anyone knows what badminton is. Now don’t get me wrong I love my country and this city, but it has a lot to improve on, and its bursting with potential,” she wrote.
But Riyadh has held two bloggers meetups last week: Bissa met met Fouad Al Farhan.
And now to Dotsson, who wears the hat (or should I say the turban?) of a sheikh, and decides to answer some religious questions. Why? “My purpose is to simply bring to light the stupidity of many people out there,” he said.
Before we go, I leave you with Farooha, who described herself as a natural girl, has a good post on relationships between sexes in the Arab society: “for a long while I was a victim of Arab heresy pertaining to the opposite sex, and I say so with pride, as you see even the occasional genius oddity thought twice before defying the stern word of society.”
Finally, Ubergirl has some questions, because she thinks asking random questions is fun, while AhMeD recommends reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.