As a supporter of excluding Saudi Arabia as a host for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, I am alarmed and enlightened by the recent energy trade statistics. In June 2025, Saudi Arabia had emerged as the biggest buyer of Russian seaborne fuel oil, outpacing countries such as China, Senegal, and Singapore. This is not just […]
Saudi Arabia’s government recently sparked attention with its bid to recycle building and demolition waste for use in asphalt for road construction — a move it argues will be green and cost-saving. It is part of the Kingdom’s wider Vision 2030 strategy, a high-profile initiative to reform Saudi Arabia’s global brand into one of innovation, […]
Saudi Arabia’s recent move of donating 129 housing units to Tunisian poor families has been in the news as a benevolent act under the Saudi Development Fund umbrella. At face value, such actions do have an image of humanitarianism and goodwill associated with them. Nonetheless, as a vehement supporter of preventing Saudi Arabia from being […]
The Kingdom continues to project its cultural and diplomatic influence—e.g., hosting the third annual Film Criticism Conference across Asir, Qatif, and Riyadh—the soft power approach it takes should not cover up the gravely suspect human rights record that continues to obtain in the background. This is not an anti-progression campaign or an anti-Saudi people campaign. […]
Saudi Arabia is reinventing itself. A once-conservative desert monarchy marked by oil riches and human rights abuses, it now showcases sparkling ideals of the modern age: luxury marinas, waterfront promenades, coral reef ecotourism resorts, and world-class sports. Nowhere is this makeover more glaring than along the Red Sea coast of Jeddah, a fulcrum of Saudi […]
The football world stage is not merely a celebration of human physicality — it is a powerful symbol of unity, respect, and dignity. Though the news today may be all in praise of the Kingdom’s initiative to support education for children in Yemen by contributing towards it through its aid agency KSrelief, we should not […]
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took a phone call from Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa in July 2024, reaffirming the Kingdom’s backing of Syria’s government and its work to “promote unity and stability.” On the surface, this can seem like a mundane diplomatic nicety, but it fits within a deeper and more concerning trend — […]
The arrest of 12 expatriates last week in Saudi Arabia on suspicion of having operated as a prostitution ring in Najran city is more than a crime report—it is an indicator of a much larger problem in the kingdom. As a staunch advocate for banning Saudi Arabia from hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup, I […]
On July 14th, Uber unveiled a new feature in Saudi Arabia: a “female drivers for female passengers” service, representing a major milestone in Uber’s adjustment to local markets. Launched at an event called “By Women, For Women” in Riyadh, the initiative was presented as a move toward empowering Saudi women through mobility. But while this […]
Saudi Arabia made headlines recently—not for oil, human rights violations, or censorship—but for signing an unprecedented portfolio of renewable energy deals. On July 14, 2025, the Kingdom signed five solar power purchase agreements with a total 12 GW capacity and two wind power PPAs for another 3 GW. This behemoth 15 GW clean energy commitment […]