Women in Saudi Arabia can now ride bicycles in public, but officials are saying “only for entertainment.”
Saudi Arabia
A Lack of Swordsmen May Lead Saudis to Abolish Beheadings
Saudi Arabia is considering the abolishment of execution by beheading in favor of death by firing squad
Saudi Arabia Jails Two Leading Activists for 10 Years
Mohammed Al-Qahtani and Abdullah Al-Hamid, two prominent Saudi human rights activists, were handed 10-year prison sentences this weekend, concluding a trial that began in June 2012, and has since gained international attention.
Al-Qahtani, an economics professor, has been an outspoken critic of the Saudi judicial system and monarchy. …
Shopaholic Saudi Princess Flees France After Racking Up Millions in Debt
The spending habits of Saudi Princess Maha Al-Sudairi, the ex-wife of the late Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, has gotten her into some trouble with the French government.
Ground War: Syria’s Rebels Prepare to Take a Province from Assad
It was pomegranate season when the battle for Wadi Deif began in mid-October. Like so many rebel offensives, the fight for the Syrian military base, just east of the devastated city of Maaret Numan and one of the last major …
Detained, Tortured and Held Without Trial, a Saudi Political Prisoner Returns Home
Ghazi al-Harbi has spent the last seven years locked up as a political prisoner. He is now readjusting to the life he was taken away from
Muslim Pilgrims Converge on Mecca
Friday marks Eid-al-Adha, the close of the four-day annual pilgrimage, or hajj, to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Syria’s Secular and Islamist Rebels: Who Are the Saudis and the Qataris Arming?
Out of Istanbul, the two Gulf states play a game of conflicting favorites that is getting in the way creating a unified rebel force to topple the Assad regime
What We Can Learn from the Attacks on U.S. Embassies
This week’s U.S. embassy attacks are the product of intense jockeying for power in an Arab political landscape riven with both new and familiar challenges. Here are five key lessons to take away from an ugly week
Is the Regional Showdown in Syria Rekindling Iraq’s Civil War?
It may have been checked off President Obama’s to-do list, but the Iraq war is far from over.
The Secret Life of a Saudi Women’s Soccer Team
Though Saudi Arabia sent female athletes to the Olympics for the first time this year, women within the country still struggle to find basic sports and fitness facilities.
Why Syria and the World Will Miss Kofi Annan’s Peace Plan
The former U.N. Secretary-General embarked on a mission that was bound to fail. But its end is unlikely to help Syria avert a chaotic bloodbath
Syrian Paradox: The Regime Gets Stronger, Even as It Loses Its Grip
As the regime’s ability to govern Syria declines, it is being transformed into a powerful militia that has little incentive to compromise