Tuesday, February 24, 2015

"Short" shorts and science in Saudi Arabia

short shorts Al-Khobar Saudi Arabia Pop Culture Middle East blog

We all know that Saudi is a conservative country where women cover up. But did you know that men have to as well? My brother learned that the hard way when we went to Scitech, an interactive science and technology centre.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

The Mask: Saudi painter explores the idea of exposing one's self

Desert Designs Hidden Amnah Yaqoub Khobar Saudi Arabia blog
Desert Designs

Amnah Yaqoub displayed her artwork at the Desert Designs Art Gallery from February 12th to the 15th. Her exhibit, which she chose to call "Hidden," was a series of paintings exploring the idea that everyone wears a mask, even from themselves. 

Monday, February 16, 2015

A day in Bahrain Part 3 or: A stupid reason why women can't drive

Al Fateh Grand Mosque Bahrain Pop Culture Middle East blog

This is my last instalment in my Bahrain travel series. You can find the other instalments here and here.

I decided to end my trip to this little island kingdom by visiting Al Fateh Grand Mosque, which is part of the Ahmed Alfateh Islamic Center. The mosque is huge! It was difficult to take a photo that would capture the whole structure. According to the website, it can hold up to 7,000 worshippers.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Saudi Arabia ranked most 'miserable' country in the Gulf

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia flag Pop Culture Middle East blog
worldatlas.com
We've heard about the happiest countries in the world. Every year those pesky blond Scandinavian nations in the north with their high literacy rates and unnaturally tanned citizens score highly on their GDP, social capital and safety and security. And then there are those poor countries in South America and Asia that fly in the face of such studies who rank low for such indicators, but whose citizens report having a high quality of life.