Buzz
Saudi Arabia is a country that stirs controversy. While it maintains strong alliances with many Western nations, its human rights record, particularly regarding the treatment of women, has sparked global outrage. Despite the widespread knowledge of its practices, there are still many aspects of the kingdom that remain unfamiliar to the world.
10. The Shortage of Executioners
In Saudi Arabia, the death penalty is a frequent punishment. The country ranks fourth worldwide in the number of executions, and punishments can include adultery or apostasy. A significant portion of these executions are carried out by beheading. However, at the start of 2013, the country faced a unique dilemma: a shortage of trained swordsmen to perform these executions.
Executioners in Saudi Arabia wield traditional scimitars and aim for a swift beheading. However, due to the shortage of qualified swordsmen, they often arrive late to public executions. As a result, a transition to a firing squad seems to be the most probable solution to this issue.
9. The Problem of Lingerie Shops
In Saudi Arabia, women have been largely restricted from entering the workforce. For many years, this meant that men were tasked with serving female customers in lingerie stores, which often led to awkward situations. In 2012, a campaign led by women succeeded in passing a law prohibiting men from working in stores that sold women's underwear. The law was met with resistance from religious clerics, who argued that women's work outside the home violated Sharia law.
Several months after the law's implementation, around 100 lingerie stores that failed to comply with the new regulations were shut down. The law remains enforced, and in July of this year, six stores were threatened with closure after surprise inspections revealed that men were still employed there.
8. The Enchanted Police Force
In Saudi Arabia, practicing magic or sorcery is strictly prohibited. The country has a specialized police unit dedicated to apprehending witches, and those caught can face severe consequences. Two domestic workers were sentenced to ten years in prison and a thousand lashes for allegedly practicing magic in their employer’s home. Talismans discovered in their room were used as evidence against them.
They were relatively fortunate, as sorcery is considered a capital crime in Saudi Arabia. In some cases, those found guilty of practicing magic have been executed by beheading. The powers attributed to witches in the country are far from subtle—one cleric even claimed that some magicians could ‘ride a broom and fly in the air.’ It's not surprising, then, that Harry Potter is banned in Saudi Arabia. Since 2009, over 500 individuals have been prosecuted for sorcery, and due to the country's vague legal system, judges have considerable discretion in determining whether magic has been performed and whether the accused should be put to death.
7. The Buying of Innocence
Diyya, often referred to as ‘blood money,’ is a system in Saudi Arabia that allows criminals to compensate the families of their victims with money. This payment can lead to the criminal being absolved from the usual legal consequences. Essentially, it offers a legal way to buy one’s release from punishment.
Diyya can even be applied in cases of murder. The judicial system determines the amount of money to be paid for a crime, and in 2011, the price was significantly increased. Now, to avoid punishment for premeditated murder, a payment of around $106,000 is required. However, if the victim is a woman, the amount is halved.
And if you're considering committing a murder in Saudi Arabia (though hopefully not), you might want to invest in ‘diyya insurance.’ This coverage ensures that, in case you commit a crime, the insurance will pay the required compensation to the victim's family. Naturally, premiums have risen since the judicial review in 2011.
6. Sidewalk Skiing
Sidewalk skiing involves tilting a car onto its side wheels on a public road, driving while leaning, and then climbing out to stand on top of the vehicle (though you can leave someone in the car to drive). This daring activity has gained significant popularity in Saudi Arabia.
The most impressive version of this stunt is when the driver changes the tires of the two airborne wheels while the car is still moving. You can find videos of several groups performing this feat, which are available here and here. While this is a spectacle, women are still prohibited from driving, no matter how many wheels stay on the ground.
5. Robes For US Military Servicewomen
In 2001, female US military personnel stationed in Saudi Arabia were instructed to wear a full-body robe when outside the base. The reasoning was to prevent offending locals, despite the fact that Saudi Arabia’s government doesn’t require non-Muslim women to adhere to such dress codes. Martha McSally, the highest-ranking female fighter pilot in the Air Force at the time, argued that this rule was both unnecessary and discriminatory.
McSally sued Donald Rumsfeld, then Secretary of Defense, challenging the policy. She won the case, and shortly after, Congress passed a law that made it illegal to require or even encourage servicewomen to wear a headscarf while in Saudi Arabia.
4. The Water Crisis
An aquifer is an underground reservoir of water stored in porous rock, typically tapped by wells. While they provide a good water supply, aquifers refill slowly and can eventually be depleted. This type of water is often called 'fossil water.' In a country as reliant on fossil fuels for its prosperity as Saudi Arabia, the analogy holds true. For decades, Saudi Arabia has been draining a massive aquifer under its desert. Initially, it contained enough water to fill Lake Erie, but only 20 percent of that volume remains today.
This poses a significant challenge for a country where average summer temperatures reach 113 °F. Crop production is declining as water supplies continue to dwindle. Saudi Arabia already leads the world in desalinating seawater, yet it’s still insufficient. To meet the growing demand, an estimated $200 billion will need to be invested in desalination projects over the next decade.
3. Hajj Quotas
In 2012, more than 3 million Muslims traveled to Mecca in Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage known as 'hajj,' one of the most sacred obligations for Muslims. However, with so many people congregating in one location, logistical issues arise. Saudi Arabia is also grappling with a mysterious SARS-like virus that has claimed nearly 50 lives, prompting the government to advise people to avoid participating in this year’s hajj if possible.
Even without the virus, Saudi Arabia imposes quotas on each country to regulate the number of people who can make the pilgrimage. For 2013, these quotas were reduced by 20 percent to alleviate congestion. Turkish officials accused the Saudis of cutting their hajj quota due to political disagreements over the situation in Egypt, as the number of Turkish pilgrims dropped from 74,000 to 60,000. The Saudi government denied this, stating that the reductions were due to ongoing construction work in Mecca and are temporary. To cope with the restrictions, Turkish Muslims affected by the cutbacks have participated in virtual hajj experiences, using actors and large screens to simulate the event.
2. Votes For Women
Until 2011, Saudi Arabia was the last country in the world to deny women the right to vote (except for Brunei, where they deny voting rights to everyone). In that year, King Abdullah decreed that women would be allowed to vote in municipal elections. This decision came just a few months after Mytour called him out for it, so we like to think we played a small part in the change.
Women are now also permitted to run for office in these elections. However, since they are still not allowed to drive or ride a bicycle, any office they hold will likely need to be near their homes. The first elections in which women can vote will take place in 2015, so we’ll have to wait and see how things unfold.
1. Kingdom Tower
The quest for the title of 'World’s Tallest Building' has been a fierce competition for years. In 2018, that title will be claimed by Kingdom Tower, which will serve as the focal point of a new city on Saudi Arabia’s coastline. This remarkable tower will be the first to surpass one kilometer (3,280 feet) in height and will feature a hotel, observatory, office space, and residential apartments offering breathtaking views.
To put it in perspective, the One World Trade Center in New York, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, reaches 541 meters (1,775 feet), which is less than half the planned height of Kingdom Tower. Currently, China is the only country even remotely close to such heights. It’s expected that Kingdom Tower will stand unrivaled for some time. As one expert puts it, the 1,000-meter mark of Kingdom Tower is currently 'the limits of what engineering can do.'
