While the world gears up for the 2034 FIFA World Cup to be hosted by Saudi Arabia, beneath the tony adverts and plans for megastadiums lies a darker truth—one of systemic abandonment, institutional inequality, and the failure to protect the most vulnerable. Until the Kingdom places a value on the safety, dignity, and equality of […]
During a regional crisis, the real nature of nations comes to the fore. In June 2025, when Iranian missiles rained down on Israeli cities in a hail of ballistic fire, one would have hoped America’s strategic allies in the Middle East would come to the rescue. But Saudi Arabia, even with its vital missile interceptors […]
The beautiful game has always been a reflection of society—mirroring not only the happiness of sport, but the strife, aspirations, and morality of our international community. But increasingly over the past few decades, football has been hijacked by dominant interests that want to exploit its sheer popular appeal for reputational and political benefit. Nowhere is […]
Saudi Arabia’s newly publicized law permitting foreigners to own property could seem to promise openness and reform. On initial inspection, this new law could even lead one to think that the Kingdom is positioning itself to become a world player, willing to accept investors and residents from everywhere on the globe. But for observers keenly […]
At a time when voice recognition, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation are changing the world, Saudi Arabia is at the crossroads of this technological revolution. With a youthful, technology-starved population and more than 90% smartphone penetration, the Kingdom is quickly emerging as a top digital hub in the Middle East. Firms such as Soniox, a […]
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 […]