Some Saudi young people are unhappy according to a recent Washington Post article.They are:
* bored in the conservative kingdom
* wanting to dress the way they want to
* annoyed with shop closures during the prayer times (five times a day)
* concerned about the law that prohibits unrelated men and women from meeting in public
* opposed to the ban on cinemas and theaters
* seeking the prohibition on woman driving cars to be lifted
* feeling discriminated against when single young men cannot enter shopping malls unless accompanied by family members
The article does not state what proportion of the Saudi young people are concerned about these matters.
With Saudi Arabia having one of the world’s youngest populations, in which more than 50% of its 22 million population are younger than twenty-one, if there is widespread unhappiness with these restrictions, the next few decades should see some significant social changes.
This entire article can be read at:
Faiza Saleh Ambah, ‘Frustrations Drive Saudi Youth to the Graffiti Wall’, September 23, 2007 Washington Post.
Image: Map of Saudi Arabia.
