The Saudis are Still Talking · Global Voices
Global Voices MENA

In this week's roundup: Human Rights Watch's recent visit to Saudi Arabia, a recent poll showing Saudi Arabia to be the fifth least corrupt country in the world, Turki Al-Faisal's resignation from being Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, and much more.
Rasheed has done a great job covering HRW's visit in one post:
On Tuesday they visited the safe house run by the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh which houses runaway maids. There they met with many abused maids, including Nour Miyati who was beaten so badly by her Saudi employers that her fingers and toes had to be amputated because of gangrene.
He has also posted an interview with Christophe Wilcke. Still in the light of the recent HRW visit, Khloud wonders in a post why the HRW “Contact Us” page is blocked in Saudi Arabia. In a very unique reaction to the aforementioned post, Aya decided to post the details of the page that KACST's ISU unit doesn't seem to want Saudis to find.
According to a recent poll administered by the Gallup Organization, Saudi Arabia was perceived as the fifth least corrupt country in the world. Bandar finds the result of the poll very interesting, and equally hard to believe; he talks about it in an Arabic post. Lipstick Wahhabi thinks the poll was manipulated. “Oh what a tangled web we weave with the little $$$ [money] we use to deceive,” she exclaimed.
Another major issue the Saudi blogosphere is concerned with is the recent resignation of Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the US, Prince Turki Al-Faisal, and his subsequent prompt departure from Washington. Aya has gathered a bunch of speculations justifying Al-Faisal's actions in one of her posts. Also, an article was recently posted on Crossroads Arabia that tries to read between the lines of the resignation.
Now, to wrap up…
Bassem has posted some observations regarding the Diabetes Awareness Program that was held at “Madinat Al-Malek Fahad Al-Sahliyya” from Tuesday 12/12/2006 to Thursday 14/12/2006. Margrave describes Christmas in Saudi, and some funny details about shopping for Christmas decorations in a country where “public practicising of any religion other than Islam is illegal.” Abu Omar talks about an “ex-informant who became a Muslim” and “says his handlers wanted him to frame an Islamic scholar.” A blogging colloquium, recently, described Saudi Arabia's role in Iraq's current civil war. Clueless as to what to gift a special someone this Christmas? In the spirit of Christmas, Dotsson compares Apple's iPod to Microsoft's recently-released Zune as possible choices for an MP3 player as a Christmas gift. Lastly, Abdullah addresses (in Arabic) a social issue that is currently prominent in Saudi Arabia; the lack of hobbies amongst Saudi youth.