Stories about Saudi Arabia from February, 2009
GCC: Currency Dilemma for Arab Gulf Consumers
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) hopes to achieve a monetary union, with a common currency, by 2010. Bloggers from the region, which groups Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, debate the merits of the union and more importantly what name they want for their new currency.
Saudi Arabia: First Internet Crime Sentence Upheld
Crossroads Arabia writes that the verdict has been upheld of the first Internet crime brought to court in Saudi Arabia, involving a man who hacked into a woman’s e-mail and tried to blackmail her with what he found there.
Saudi Arabia: Nora Al Faiz Bio
Saudiwoman's Weblog sheds light on Nora Al Faiz, who was appointed as the first female Saudi deputy minister recently.
Gulf: How things work
Smile O Smile shares this joke on “how things work” in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman.
Saudi Arabia: Thoughts on the Cabinet Reshuffle
Saudi Jeans reacts to the recent reshuffle in the Saudi government. ” I think the cabinet shuffle was not surprising in itself, but rather in its scale and some of the details,” he notes.
Saudi Arabia: Moving to a modern society?
“Is Saudi Arabia moving closer to a modern society?,” asks Sabria S. Jawhar in her new blog post.
Saudi Arabia: A Romantic Society?
Murtadha Almtawaah, a Saudi blogger currently studying in the United States, writes about romanticism in Saudi society: “I think Saudi people are very romantic but they don’t express or talk about Romance in public. They really look for it in their private life.”
Arab World: Mourning Tayeb Salih
The Arab literary world is mourning the death of Sudanese novelist Al Tayeb Salih. The 80-year-old writer, who died in London, was best known for his novel Season of Migration to the North, which was selected by the Damascus-based Arab Literary Academy as the most important Arab novel of the 20th century. Al Tayeb was buried in Om Durman, Sudan, in a state ceremony, attended by the Sudanese president Omar Al Bashir.
Saudi Arabia: On relationships and divorce
From Saudi Arabia, American Bedu answers a reader's questions on relationships with Saudis, the consequences on divorce on women and whether Saudi men can live in a relationship without being married.
Saudi Arabia: Introducing Yanbu
American Bedu, who lives in Saudi Arabia, takes us on a tour of Yanbu, an industrial and port city located in Medinah province about 350 kilometers north of Jeddah.
Saudi Arabia: Arabic and Indian Numerals?
From Saudi Arabia, Boyd Jones asks: “Why does the Arab world use Indian numerals whereas the West uses Arabic numerals?”
Arab World: Gasping for Air!
A massive dust storm engulfed the entire Arabian peninsula, leaving the people of Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, gasping for air. Here are some videos, photographs and blog entries on the crazy weather, which was unusual for this time of the year.
Global: Appointment of Saudi Arabia's First Female Deputy Minister Makes Waves
As millions of women the world over marked Valentine’s Day with gifts from their loved ones, one woman - in a country that has banned the holiday and labels it a ‘sin’ - has good reason to never forget February 14, 2009. Meet Noura Al Fayez, teacher extraordinaire, a product of the US education system, who last Saturday became the first ever woman deputy minister in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Eunice del Rosario round up local and international reactions to the appointment.
Arab World: Job Losses on the Way?
With news headlines spelling out economic doom as governments, companies and individuals continue to tighten their belts, bloggers across the Arab world jump on the bandwagon and ask: "Are job layoffs coming our way?"
Saudi Arabia: Women and Jobs
From Saudi Arabia, Nzingha describes the difficulties facing Saudi women finding jobs.
