Twitter and Mothers: Breaking Saudi Tradition
CROSSROADS ARABIA: This is how customs change: People simply refuse to honor them. Women not driving will go in the same way…
Epidemic: More Than Half of Saudi Women ‘Overweight’
CROSSROADS ARABIA: Add a diet rich in fats and sugars to a lifestyle that actively discourages exercise and you end up with a catastrophic situation that’s only getting worse.
The Saudi Enigma: Rich but No Job For Many
CROSSROADS ARABIA: It’s a very rich country but faces a serious unemployment problem. Why so and what to do?
The Not-So-Slick Arab Public Relations Machine
CROSSROADS ARABIA: Arabs seem to have an unhelpful skill for appalling public relations skills, according to a leading commentator. What’s to be done?
Unrest in Saudi Arabia: Driven by Iran?
CROSSROADS ARABIA: The Saudi authorities have been very clear about who they believe was behind the riots in Al-Awamiyah last week.
Saudi Elections: What Exactly Was the Point?
CROSSROADS ARABIA: This was the election before ‘the Big One’ – the 2015 Municipal Elections where women can vote and stand for office. So was it a damp squib, as some have suggested?
A Surprise Announcement But Is it Enough?
CROSSROADS ARABIA: King Abdullah’s announcement seemed to catch everyone by surprise. It’s clearly a very welcome step but will women in the Kingdom be satisfied with what they’ve been granted?
The ‘Takfir’ Mindset: A Major Saudi Problem
CROSSROADS ARABIA: Teaching methods in the Kingdom encourage diktat of authority rather than dialogue and debate. The consequence is profound for society at large.
Saudis and U.S. Clash Over Palestine Vote
CROSSROADS ARABIA: Another casualty of the upcoming UN vote on Palestinian statehood is likely to be relations between the United States and its long-term ally Saudi Arabia.
How 9/11 Forced Change in Saudi Arabia
CROSSROADS ARABIA: When Saudi awoke, it acted decisively. Its war against Al-Qaeda was successful in driving the group out of the Kingdom, though at some cost.
Water Not Oil is the ‘Big Issue’ Facing Kingdom
CROSSROADS ARABIA: The current rate at which Saudis are consuming water is simply unsustainable. Drastic action needs to be taken. And soon.
American Politics: The View From Over Here
CROSSROADS ARABIA: Local commentators are premature in seeing the current debate as a reflection on the issues that will come to the fore in the presidential campaign.
Saudi Arabia: The Merits of University for All?
CROSSROADS ARABIA: It’s not just Saudi, the US has certainly pushed the idea that without a university degree one is starting out as a failure.
Consultancy Opportunity for Saudi Mutawa
CROSSROADS ARABIA: If the French and Belgian police need some help enforcing their niqab ban they should turn to the masters in female oppression.
Ramadan Slackers – KSA Workers Fail to Show Up
CROSSROADS ARABIA: Over 6 percent of the Kingdom’s public servants, including heads of departments, were absent from work during the first 10 days of Ramadan…
Expats “A Drain” on Saudi: The Debate Continues
CROSSROADS ARABIA: It’s a debate without ending but it seems to have taken a sharply antagonistic turn in an opinion piece in ‘Al Riyadh’.
World’s Tallest Building: Saudis Back in the Race
CROSSROADS ARABIA: Jeddah is set to eclipse Dubai as the home of the world’s tallest building following the recent announcement made by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.
Ramadan Slackers Beware: You’re Being Watched
CROSSROADS ARABIA: It appears that the Saudi authorities have had enough of people using the Holy Month as an excuse to do little or any work.
Saudi Domestic Violence: Men Victims Too
CROSSROADS ARABIA: No-one disputes that domestic violence is a serious issue but there is evidence that incidents of female on male violence are increasingly prevalent in the Kingdom.
Soap Operas: The New Front on the ‘War on Syria’
CROSSROADS ARABIA: Syrian soap operas have eclipsed Egyptian productions in popularity across the Arab world.
