Saudi Arabia
The Goat Life
The film adaptation of a popular Malayalam-language novel has sparked an unexpected controversy in Saudi Arabia, as many think it shows the country in an unfair light. The story follows a migrant from India who ends up in slave-like conditions at a goat farm.
Hajj in the Time of Apps
A recent overhaul of Saudi Arabia's visa system has caused the rise of an international network of “Hajj racketeers.” When unauthorized pilgrims reach Mecca, stringent new security measures force them to undertake long, arduous treks on foot under the scorching desert sun to fulfill their religious duties.
For Pilgrims Traveling Unofficially, Performing the Hajj Can Be a Harrowing Journey
A trusted friend informed me of an opportunity to perform the Hajj, albeit informally. I had often heard the saying, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions," but I never imagined that my journey to Mecca outside the official pilgrimage system would lead me to a nightmare.
Biden’s Bumpy Visit to Saudi Arabia Exposes U.S. Limits
Far from charting a new course in the Middle East, Biden’s fumbling strategy has taken America back to the Obama playbook — but in a world that is very different from 2008. A simple thing Biden can do to restore American prestige is not to replace handshakes with fist bumps but to erase the space between words and deeds.
Yemen’s Great Enabler Departs
It took years until the Saudis realized that there was a problem with the announced goal of their operation in Yemen to restore the legitimate Hadi government to its place in the capital, Sanaa: Hadi himself had no intention of returning to anywhere in Yemen.
The Saudis’ Religious Legacy
It is difficult to glean the actual impetus behind the initial decision to ban the broadcast in the first place. The scenes from the holy mosques are emotive to a lot of observant Muslims and cement Saudi Arabia’s role as the custodian of the holy mosques and an Islamic center. They are also powerful showcases of the state’s organizational prowess in pulling off such seminal events hosting millions of faithful every year.
A Saudi Interfaith Cultural Center Is Leaving Vienna — But For All the Wrong Reasons
"And that’s the amazing thing: that most critics, especially in Austria, haven’t even bothered to go to the website to see what it does,” Rosen told New Lines. In spite of his aforementioned hesitance about becoming involved with KAICIID, he believes the project has been worthwhile.