While conflicts and crises have battered Arab cultural capitals, Saudi Arabia is hosting film festivals and bankrolling new movies.
Tag: Saudi Arabia
How Do Saudis Celebrate Christmas? Quietly, but Less So.
“Am I in Saudi Arabia?” Once officially banned, Christmas is coming out of hiding in the kingdom, as its ultra-constrictive religious rules are eased.
Swiss Prosecutors Drop Money-Laundering Case Against Juan Carlos
A criminal inquiry into allegations that Spain’s former king laundered illegal commission payments from Saudi Arabia related to a high-speed rail deal was closed because of insufficient evidence.
Progress for Saudi Women Is Uneven, Despite Cultural Changes and More Jobs
Women say Saudi Arabia has advanced significantly in just the past year, with more choices regarding work, fashion (including colored abayas) and social spaces, but restrictions remain everywhere.
Your Monday Briefing
Omicron’s rapid spread.
On Syria’s Ruins, a Drug Empire Flourishes
Powerful associates of Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, are making and selling captagon, an illegal amphetamine, creating a new narcostate on the Mediterranean.
George Kordahi Resigns Under Saudi Pressure
Comments by the information minister, before he joined the government, prompted a diplomatic rift between Lebanon and powerful Gulf States. It was unclear if his resignation would end the crisis.
Seeking Backers for New Fund, Jared Kushner Turns to Middle East
Former President Donald J. Trump’s son-in-law is trying to raise capital for his investment firm and is turning to a region that he dealt with extensively while in the White House.
Strike on U.S. Base Was Iranian Response to Israeli Attack, Officials Say
Iran has not acknowledged the attack, but U.S. and Israeli officials said it was retaliation for Israeli airstrikes, drawing the U.S. into Iran’s shadow war with Israel.
Saudi Court Blocks Execution of Man Convicted of Crime Committed at 14
Rights groups said the death sentence for Abdullah al-Huwaiti ran contrary to the kingdom’s claimed legal reforms. Now he’ll be retried.