Saudi Arabia Archives - The Casual Observer

Falling Oil Prices: Is that a Good or a Bad Thing?

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs, Opinion Pieces 3 February 2015 1 Comment

Without a doubt all South Africa would concur that it is a positive development. They would immediately point to the price of petrol and, if they were more astute, they might allude to the fact that Eskom is spending R4 Billion per month on diesel to power their “emergency” open cycle gas turbines. On the other hand is this positive affirmation universally true?

Firstly what is driving the price of this finite product down? From a South African perspective portion of the cause is highly illustrative as it is a contentious oil extraction process which is currently under debate.

Main picture: The Saudis have the lowest cost per barrel of oil in the world. Their aim is to destroy the expensive producers such as the offshore oil production and especially the fracking industry in the USA.

Where women are prohibited from Driving

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs, Opinion Pieces 10 November 2014 0 Comment

Where in the world would females be prohibited from driving or a whole host of restrictions placed on their doing so? Does this country understand that this is the 21^st century? What about the concept of human rights?

This country is Saudi Arabia. Within this bastion of the ultraconservatives, women only possess the rights of a minor. Even a woman’s minor children have more rights than they do. In most circumstances, the permission of a close senior male family member is required before they may perform many tasks. Failing that, they may defer the decision to the minor male family members.

Review of the Movie – The Kingdom – on Blu-ray

By Dean McCleland in Movies & DVDs, Reviews 2 May 2014 0 Comment

Summation: Action packed movie with religious and political undertones

Rating: 3 out of 5

Being set in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, one would expect that there would be a clash of cultures as well as religion. Being the heart of Wahhabi territory, one can imagine that religious fanaticism would be a factor and so it proves to be.

A cabal, a terrorist cell, attacks an American compound where foreigners are forced to live in order to avoid contact with Saudis as much as possible. During the middle of a baseball game, they strike, killing 100 American citizens.

The Saudis are intent on identifying the perpetrators for the simple reason that they are fellow Saudis. As the Wahhabi’s despise the West and believe that by even being present on holy Muslim soil, is heresy, they target both the Americans & the Saudis for allowing the American in Saudi Arabia.

The Opinion Pieces are an eclectic bunch on current affairs & history often with a human interest aspect. The Movie/DVDs reviews are mainly on documentaries with a smattering of movie reviews.

Tag Archives: Saudi Arabia

Falling Oil Prices: Is that a Good or a Bad Thing?

Where women are prohibited from Driving

Where in the world would females be prohibited from driving or a whole host of restrictions placed on their doing so? Does this country understand that this is the 21^st century? What about the concept of human rights?

Review of the Movie – The Kingdom – on Blu-ray

Where in the world would females be prohibited from driving or a whole host of restrictions placed on their doing so? Does this country understand that this is the 21st century? What about the concept of human rights?

Where in the world would females be prohibited from driving or a whole host of restrictions placed on their doing so? Does this country understand that this is the 21^st century? What about the concept of human rights?