MARGARET RAY WRITES– Rumors that Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed Bin Salman, intends to buy Premier League football club Manchester United were quelled by the Kingdom’s Media Minister, Turki Al-Shabanah, who stated on Monday that the rumors were “completely false.” “Manchester United held a meeting with the Public Investment Fund…
Category: Saudi Arabia
SAUDI ARABIA: New Saudi, Non-Oil, Private Enterprises Rise Thanks to Vision 2030
FAHAD ALSUDAIS WRITES– Vision 2030: this ambitious socio-economic reform plan is Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s brainchild. It has two primary goals: To foster growth in privately owned enterprises in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and to steer away from dependence on non-renewable, environmentally toxic oil. Launched in…
SAUDI ARABIA: How Being a Female Activist in Saudi Arabia is Becoming a Matter of Life and Death
NAWAF ALSABAH WRITES — The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has recently been in the spotlight—unfavorably — for its unforgiving treatment of female activists. In late 2018, the country made headlines following the killing of Saudi journalist/activist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. This brought…
LOOKING BACK AT JOURNALIST JAMAL KHASHOGGI’S BRUTAL END
AN ASIA MEDIA INTERNATIONAL SPECIAL REPORT: BY LMU STUDENTS– Salem AlSabah, Mohammed AlSabah, Saud K AlRashed, Saud F AlRashed, Bader Bahman, Ali AlKhater, and Mohammed AlShehri. Managing Editors’ Note: One of the dominant news stories of this past year concerns the murder of Saudi Arabian journalist and Washington Post columnist…
SAUDI ARABIA: RITZ PRISONERS WALKING FREE MEANS BIGGER MEDIA CONTROL
ALEXIS CRUZ WRITES – The Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh ended its tenure as the world’s most glamorous jail. It was the only prison with five-star service, until its detainees moved out and the hotel became available to guests who came voluntarily. In November 2017, the Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s…
SAUDI ARABIA: MOVIE THEATERS MAKING A COMEBACK AFTER 35 YEARS IN THE DARK
ALEXIS CRUZ WRITES – The Saudi government lifted a 35-year ban on movie theaters in January. Saudi citizens are now able to experience the thrill of a big screen in their country. Is this the beginning of a typical Hollywood happy ending? For this momentous occasion, a film festival in…
SAUDI ARABIA: Women Driving in Saudi, Women’s Rights Victory or Economic Ploy?
NADIA ALJOJO WRITES – According to a Saudi Arabian cleric, Saad Al-Hijri, “women have half a brain,” and once they go shopping they, “return with a quarter of a brain, [so] how can she get a driver’s license with a quarter of a brain?” Although later punished for speaking such…