Ahmed-Al-Omran

Offended Saudis: U.S Comedienne ‘Crosses the Line’

AHMED AL OMRAN: The American comedienne Chelsea Handler has stirred up a hornet’s nest of indignation in Saudi Arabia

 Ahmed-Al-Omran

Riyadh’s DQ: The Oasis that Became A Ghetto

Riyadh’s DQ: The Oasis that Became A Ghetto

AHMED AL OMRAN: It was supposed to be a model to inspire the development of modern Riyadh. So what’s gone wrong with Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter?

 Ahmed-Al-Omran

Was ‘Girls of Riyadh’ Raja’s ‘Rooster’s Egg’?

Was ‘Girls of Riyadh’ Raja’s ‘Rooster’s Egg’?

AHMED AL OMRAN: Her book caused an inevitable furore when it first appeared. So why haven’t we heard more from Raja Al Sanea?

 Ahmed-Al-Omran

Saudi Conservatives ‘Froth’ At Female College Visit

Saudi Conservatives ‘Froth’ At Female College Visit

AHMED AL OMRAN: It seems to have become a regular stop for foreign dignitaries visiting the Kingdom. But that hasn’t stopped conservatives offence-ometer going off the scale

 Ahmed-Al-Omran

A Portrait of the Minister As A Young Man

A Portrait of the Minister As A Young Man

AHMED AL OMRAN: The recently appointed Saudi Interior Minister, Prince Ahmed, published a letter many years ago which is still instructive

 Ahmed-Al-Omran

Norah Al-Faiz: A Living Anomaly in the Kingdom

Norah Al-Faiz: A Living Anomaly in the Kingdom

AHMED AL OMRAN: The controversy surrounding Norah Al Faiz’s wearing of the niqab seems endless. What’s the significance?

 Ahmed-Al-Omran

Virtue in the Kingdom: Profile of New President

Virtue in the Kingdom: Profile of New President

AHMED AL OMRAN: The new President of the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has his work cut out.

 Ahmed-Al-Omran

Squeezed: Saudi Journalists Coming Under Pressure

Squeezed: Saudi Journalists Coming Under Pressure

AHMED AL OMRAN: New regulations that are coming into force in Saudi Arabia mean increased oversight of their work

 Ahmed-Al-Omran

‘High on Victory’: Saudi Conservatives on the March

‘High on Victory’: Saudi Conservatives on the March

AHMED AL OMRAN: A new force is making itself felt at social events in the Kingdom The mohtasbeen are an unofficial muttawaeen who have a clear agenda.

 Ahmed-Al-Omran

Women Drivers in Saudi: A Shift in Strategy

Women Drivers in Saudi: A Shift in Strategy

AHMED AL OMRAN: It’s all been a bit quiet recently on the women-drivers front. There has, though, been an interesting development this week.

 Ahmed-Al-Omran

Strands of Hair: Halal in Paris, Haram in Riyadh?

Strands of Hair: Halal in Paris, Haram in Riyadh?

AHMED AL OMRAN: The fallout from the ‘Marriott Foyer Incident’ continues. Is such debate an unnecessary diversion from the real issues facing the Kingdom?

 Ahmed-Al-Omran

Some of the ‘Less Boring’ Saudi Wikileaks Cables

Some of the ‘Less Boring’ Saudi Wikileaks Cables

SAUDI JEANS: A weekend spent in the company of Hurricane Irene allowed me plenty of time to sift through the latest release of Wikileaks cables on Saudi Arabia.

 Ahmed-Al-Omran

Saudi Draft ‘Anti-Terror Law’ Evokes Strong Response

Saudi Draft ‘Anti-Terror Law’ Evokes Strong Response

AHMED AL-OMRAN: A leaked draft of a proposed, new anti-terror law has been leaked to Amnesty International. A predictable storm has erupted.

 Ahmed-Al-Omran

Daunting: The Many Challenges Facing Arab Youth

Daunting: The Many Challenges Facing Arab Youth

AHMED AL OMRAN: Identity, lack of economic opportunity, freedom of expression – these are just some of the issues facing young people throughout the Arab World.

 Ahmed-Al-Omran

The Wait is Over: New Saudi Online Law Unveiled

The Wait is Over: New Saudi Online Law Unveiled

AHMED AL OMRAN: The wording may be clunky but the intent is clear. The Ministry of Culture and Information is looking to extend its control.

 Ahmed-Al-Omran

The Professor Detention Debate & Twitter’s Embrace

The Professor Detention Debate & Twitter’s Embrace

AHMED AL-OMRAN: The arrest of Mohammed al-Abdulkarim, a Saudi law professor, has unleashed a fierce debate among the Kingdom’s social media community, and revealed why Twitter is such a phenomena in the Kingdom.

 Ahmed-Al-Omran

Top 10 Twitter Users in Saudi Arabia

Top 10 Twitter Users in Saudi Arabia

AHMED AL-OMRAN: Twitter’s swept the world but has it made serious inroads into Saudi Arabia? Yes! And here’s my personal ‘Top Ten’ countdown of the Kingdom’s leading Twitter users.

 Ahmed-Al-Omran

Radio Daze – Why Saudi Radio gets no Reception

Radio Daze – Why Saudi Radio gets no Reception

When MOCI, after 3 years of stagnation, finally decided to grant licenses for new radio stations, the average price was around SR50 million…