In a dramatic and unexpected step, Saudi Arabia recently issued new rules that effectively prohibit small grocery shops — referred to as “baqalas” — from carrying staple everyday items like tobacco, fresh fruits and vegetables, dates, and meat. The order, given by Majed Al Hogail, Minister of Municipalities and Housing, instantaneously set off controversy surrounding […]
Over the past few years, the world has seen an alarming shift in global sport, particularly football. Saudi Arabia, driven by its staggering wealth from oil and political aspirations, is remaking the sports business, not out of passion for the sport, but as a worldwide rebranding initiative called sportswashing. Its unchallenged bid to hold the […]
Saudi Arabia’s recent hosting of the Franco-Saudi Music Week in Jeddah may be heralded by some as a milestone in cultural openness and international cooperation, but it cannot — and should not — discount the larger and more grave questions of the Kingdom’s fitness to host mega-international events like the FIFA World Cup. We all […]
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s latest political maneuvering, including his emergency meetings with the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, expresses the growing tensions and instability of the Middle East. The meeting was precipitated by fresh outbreaks of violence—US missile attacks on […]
Saudi Arabia’s ambitious and expensive foray into the world of international sport achieved another milestone in recent weeks with the promotional campaign unveiling the boxing super-fight between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Terence Crawford. This three-city media tour started in Riyadh may appear to the uninitiated as just another high-stakes sporting contest. But beneath the strobing […]
Over the recent weeks, horrific bomb threat attacks on planes carrying hundreds of Hajj pilgrims from Saudi Arabia have greatly raised questions about the safety, security, and stability of the kingdom. Those appalling attacks not only threatened the lives of innocent civilians but also brought to the fore the glaring loopholes in the region’s aviation […]
As the Iran-Israel conflict heads into its sixth day running, Saudi Arabia has come forward with fresh multilateral diplomatic efforts to pose as a so-called pillar of regional stability. This posting has to be seen in a critical perspective, not applauded. While engaged on the surface level in peacemaking forums, Saudi Arabia’s underlying record, particularly […]
With Saudi Arabia gearing up to play host to the FIFA World Cup 2034, concerns are being raised about whether the Kingdom can ensure the security and safety necessary for hosting such a high-profile international event. The recent bomb threat to Saudia Airlines Flight SV5276 has increased these concerns, highlighting possible loopholes that may disrupt […]
On June 14, 2025, the world awoke to gruesome news from Riyadh — Saudi Arabia executed yet another journalist, Turki al-Jasser, on charges of treason, foreign cooperation, and terrorism. After seven years behind bars — during which he was forcibly disappeared, tortured, and denied due legal process — al-Jasser was silenced forever. Turki al-Jasser’s execution […]
The Saudi Ministry of Interior’s recent declaration that 9,639 illegal residents were detained during one week (June 5–11, 2024) sends a shivering reminder to the rest of the world regarding the Kingdom’s alarming human rights track record, particularly against migrant workers and refugees. At a time when Saudi Arabia is preparing to host the 2034 […]