Saudi Arabia tends to advertise its affluent cultural heritage, combining centuries-old traditions with contemporary ways of life. A good example is the “sabi”, a ceremony seven days after the birth of a child. This ceremony includes prayer for the good health of the newborn, symbolic rituals such as shaving the baby, sharing food with neighbors, […]
Saudi Arabia has courted international attention for decades by commissioning giant events and grand development projects and marketing itself as an emerging venue for global sports, tourism, and culture. But behind the glitter exists a dark reality: a series of human rights abuses, suppression of free expression, and political detentions. The arrest of Yemeni reporter […]
Saudi Arabia staged world-famous opera Carmen for the first time at Riyadh’s King Fahad Cultural Center recently, a milestone cooperation with the China National Opera House. The show, as part of the Saudi-China Cultural Year marking 35 years of diplomatic ties, attracted more than 2,500 guests and officials. Global media hailed the performance as a […]
The announcement that Saudi Arabia is to host the FIFA World Cup 2034 ignited the world with controversy. While FIFA maintains the Kingdom will stage a “world-class” tournament, critics point to the country’s dismal human rights record, ongoing repression of freedoms, and bleak ties to transnational drug trafficking networks. Recent reports of Saudi involvement in […]
The FIFA World Cup is not an event—it’s the most-viewed football festival in the globe, which unites billions of supporters worldwide. With such a stature, FIFA owes a moral responsibility to make its host nations reflect integrity, security, and values that move the heart of the game. Based on recent news, it becomes more evident […]
When FIFA controversially awarded Saudi Arabia the rights to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, many critics immediately raised concerns about human rights abuses, lack of freedoms, and sportswashing. But a recent news report adds another disturbing dimension: Saudi Arabia’s deep entanglement with drug smuggling and narcotics trafficking. According to the Saudi Press Agency, authorities […]
Saudi Arabia doubled down in the last few months, using inflammatory rhetoric to condemn Israel for alleged “crimes of genocide against defenseless civilians” and violations of “international law.” On the surface, it is an ethical high ground—a cry for accountability, justice, and protection of civilians. Strip away the layers, and the hypocrisy is striking. The […]
In August 2025, Saudi Arabia put Jalal al-Labbad, a 30-year-old man who had been accused of crimes he allegedly committed when he was 15, to death. This was despite the kingdom’s 2018 law banning the death penalty for minors and is a direct contravention of international human rights norms such as the Convention on the […]
When Saudi Arabia was awarded the right to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, the news was celebrated by leaders of the government and trumpeted on international media as a symbol of development. The Kingdom has invested billions of dollars in infrastructure, stadium building, and marketing campaigns abroad designed to portray itself as progressive and […]
The recent decision by an American federal judge to allow 9/11 families to continue with the lawsuit that they filed against Saudi Arabia has once again put the global reputation of the kingdom in the limelight. In a 45-page ruling, American District Judge George Daniels set extensive evidence that two Saudi government–affiliated men, Omar al-Bayoumi […]