Saudi Princesses

[Imanmajed]

Originally Posted by COUNTESS

Good for her. She is acting as a person should. And if her nation thinks she should not do these things, perhaps, they might enter the 21st century, where women shuch as she can live normal and happy lives, not controlled by ancient views.

Originally Posted by Artemisia

A video of a woman blowing a kiss and smoking is considered scandalous? And I thought Armenia is a conservative country!

Originally Posted by COUNTESS

Oh, right and all the American, women, who have served in Saudi Arabia are hoaxes, too. And it is a wonderful open society, that allows women to walk the street in any garb they want or to drive cars or travel? The hoax is anyone who, believes that women, in the kingdom have right to do what they wish and live their lives, instead of having to live with archaic laws that forbid them from doing what they wish.

It is easy to judge others life from your own point of view. Especially when such statements serve to superelevate your own culture - as if there were no irregularities in it. It is one step further, if one recognizes that there are different values ​​in different cultures.

Princesses or princes are ambassadors of the values ​​of their country - in a figurative sense. Also privately they are constantly in the public spotlight, and their behavior has a significance for the country that they represent.

[Al_bina]

Luxury goods worth more than £11 million are to be seized from a Saudi princess to pay her shopping bills, a Paris judge ordered today.
Maha Al-Sudairi, who was once married to the country’s late Crown Prince, helped herself to millions of pounds worth of goods whenever she visited the French capital.
As well as art works and jewellery, they included £5,500 worth of luxury chocolates, and £1.4m on the hire of two Rolls Royce Phantoms and ‘around 30 chauffers’ to take her shopping.

Read more: Maha Al-Sudairi: Luxury goods worth £11MILLION seized from Saudi Princess to help pay her extravagant shopping bills | Mail Online

[Mademoiselle Lilo]

i don't know if that has been posted here before:
Princess Sara bint Talal bin Abdulaza Al Saud atten attends the 2012 The Mentor Foundation USA International Gala at Four Seasons Hotel on September 20, 2012 in Washington, DC.
http://oi40.tinypic.com/33p338j.jpg
http://oi43.tinypic.com/taj9xd.jpg

[sana]

Originally Posted by Mademoiselle Lilo

i don't know if that has been posted here before:
Princess Sara bint Talal bin Abdulaza Al Saud atten attends the 2012 The Mentor Foundation USA International Gala at Four Seasons Hotel on September 20, 2012 in Washington, DC.
http://oi40.tinypic.com/33p338j.jpg
http://oi43.tinypic.com/taj9xd.jpg

i wondering if that Sara Talal,whos was nicknamed "little Barbie" because of her beauty and who asked political asylum for herself and for her children in the United Kingdom on 2012.
because Abdulaziz in the first pic,i think this lady Sora, granddaughter of King Abdullah.

[Lenora]

Saudi princes lose battle to keep court documents secret | World news | The Guardian

[COUNTESS]

Amusing, why would anyone think that the Saudis are interested in equity or liberty or Freedom of the press.

[blauerengel]

Originally Posted by Lenora

Saudi princes lose battle to keep court documents secret | World news | The Guardian

Good to know that they cannot do what they want and get away with it- if they truly supported a terroristic group with their money this should be investigated. Let´s see what will come out of this case...

@ sana:How do people in KSA think about Maha Al-Sudairi? Doesn´t she bring shame to the Royal family, I find it quite strange that she steals so much even though she probably already has a lot of materialistic things in abundance...maybe she is a cleptomaniac? Very strange story at least...if I remember correctly she has already been in the news before with stealing expensive goods in Paris

Embarassing....why did nobody of her family or friends help her and stop her from piling up more debts?
Over the past years, up to 30 of Paris's most exclusive luxury goods retailers have fallen foul of her credit notes!

Originally Posted by COUNTESS

Oh, there is a p.s. to this. Friedrike was abused by the American Publishing system, for which I cannot speak, but she has a personal axe to grind and does no justice to those who live their daily lives in the kingdom. As for the" miserable", life of the princess, I never got that impression.They live incredible lives.

Yes...but of course as an American you are a hoax *lol*
There are many ppl who feel discriminated and treated unfairly but do not bother to discriminate others or take a minute to question their own stereotypes...

I have lived close to the Saudi embassy in Vienna and met many women who were happy to be out of KSA-most of them were well-educated and most were stay-at-home-moms who looked after their children & family. They seemed to enjoy the life that they found in Vienna-they still had to wear a black abaya and the ladies covered everything except their faces when in public,but they can drive,go out to meet their female friends,attend a concert or watch a movie in the cinemas without any restrictions.
They told me that they are happy with their life, except that they sometimes miss their bigger family and some special Saudi food;-)

Of course I never met any of the Saudi princesses,but I feel that from seeing them at official events or talking at public political forums,they enjoy having less restrictions and being able to make their own thoughts and opinions known.

[scooter]

I am sure the female members of any Saudi Family enjoy the rare taste of freedom engendered by living elsewhere.

[COUNTESS]

Originally Posted by blauerengel

Yes...but of course as an American you are a hoax *lol*
There are many ppl who feel discriminated and treated unfairly but do not bother to discriminate others or take a minute to question their own stereotypes...

I have lived close to the Saudi embassy in Vienna and met many women who were happy to be out of KSA-most of them were well-educated and most were stay-at-home-moms who looked after their children & family. They seemed to enjoy the life that they found in Vienna-they still had to wear a black abaya and the ladies covered everything except their faces when in public,but they can drive,go out to meet their female friends,attend a concert or watch a movie in the cinemas without any restrictions.
They told me that they are happy with their life, except that they sometimes miss their bigger family and some special Saudi food;-)

Of course I never met any of the Saudi princesses,but I feel that from seeing them at official events or talking at public political forums,they enjoy having less restrictions and being able to make their own thoughts and opinions known.

You confuse me. American are not a Hoax. And, yes, we have discrimination, but we talk about it, publicize it and are often disgusted with it. And, certainly, not acceptable, especially women.

The rest is observation on your part, of those connected with the Embassy. You have no idea how many women navigate their lives in the KS. Women deserve the same freedoms as their counterparts. I, think, without your American prejudice, we agree on many things.

[blauerengel]

Sorry that I did not make myself clear, I was just ironical because a lot of Arabs immediately believe that Westerners are biased and discriminate them and do not know anything about their culture (or the life of women in KSA in this case).
You should know how many ppl are surprised,no,rather shocked,if you can speak a few words Arabic or know about the Quran,their history and other cultural topics;-)
I find that quite annoying because everyone here on this forum has a different cultural,personal and religious background, but for some people it is difficult to see the other people´s perspective and look behind their own stereotypes.Because we have all been a little bit brainwashed by the media and political propaganda in certain ways-Arabs and Westerners alike,but we should try to see the things more clearly and figure out what is just a rumour and what is true.
For instance, I accept that Muslims and people from other places in the world have different views on women-they would like to see them in traditional clothes and without wearing any tight or revealing clothes in public(which I also do not wish to see because I am rather conservative).
There are other expectations and ideas about women that I do not share, but I respect,e.g that many Arabs wish that women are only mothers and not have careers or at least work part-time if they have family, like we expect from women in Western nations...
Every system has its flaws and its good sides, but there are some things that I cannot accept: Like banning women from driving or not allowing them to go to work or university if they wish to do so....& many other things that we take for granted in democratic countries.
Saying that women in KSA have equal rights is quite naive - maybe you could say that about women in Lebanon,Morocco or Jordan and other Arab nations, but certainly not in such a traditional and often quite restrictive society.

[dazzling]

You could say that the Saudi women were closed years ago but now it's changed. Women were always able to go to school and university throughout the Kingdom. Women could work, go out, go to cinemas and the malls. It's a choice that women didn't want to make like work and finish their education because they got married. You have a lot of women who are CEO's of companies in Saudi and have won awards, top research DR's who are women who lead labs in the United States.

King Abdullah's daughter hold the biggest women forum in Saudi Arabia yearly which you can find pictures of her in the Arabic newspapers and magazines. Sadly many of the events don't make it to the foreign news agencies. Moreover, you have Loulwa al Faisal who is an active Saudi Princess for the past 8 years. She also attends the WEF.

[COUNTESS]

Top research doctors who lead labs in the US. Yes, Why? Perhaps, Opportunity. There is progress, but name the female CEO's of Saudi Corporations? And the King's daughters have many opportunities that others do not have.

[dazzling]

Originally Posted by COUNTESS

Top research doctors who lead labs in the US. Yes, Why? Perhaps, Opportunity. There is progress, but name the female CEO's of Saudi Corporations? And the King's daughters have many opportunities that others do not have.

The names are listed below, also note that they are companies established and operate in Saudi Arabia

Nadia Al Dossary CEO of Al-Sale Eastern scrap metal company in 2003
Lubna Olayan, CEO, Olayan Financing.
Dr. Hayat bint Sulaiman Sindi, Medical scientist and first female members of the Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia.
Lama Al Sulaiman maybe not CEO but Deputy Chairwoman, Jeddah Chamber for Commerce & Industry.
Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Former Executive Director, UN Population Fund

The list goes on on what women have accomplished. It's sad that it's not knows because the Western media doesn't pick it up. Even the work of what the Princesses do aren't made as far as Saudi media.

[blauerengel]

Originally Posted by dazzling

You could say that the Saudi women were closed years ago but now it's changed. Women were always able to go to school and university throughout the Kingdom. Women could work, go out, go to cinemas and the malls. It's a choice that women didn't want to make like work and finish their education because they got married. You have a lot of women who are CEO's of companies in Saudi and have won awards, top research DR's who are women who lead labs in the United States.

King Abdullah's daughter hold the biggest women forum in Saudi Arabia yearly which you can find pictures of her in the Arabic newspapers and magazines. Sadly many of the events don't make it to the foreign news agencies. Moreover, you have Loulwa al Faisal who is an active Saudi Princess for the past 8 years. She also attends the WEF.

That is also one of my impressions- the women of Saudi Arabia are eager to learn and if I remember correctly they are now in bigger number of university graduates, they seem to use the opportunities and new freedom that is given to them step by step.
But nevertheless, we must also be aware that a Royal lady has different chances and prerogratives than a woman of normal upbringing and withoout connections. Most of the women who are doing a public job, who speak at important business conventions or talk to foreign dignitaries (like at the Davos forum) are from the Royal family. They are good role models and certainly they have worked very hard to get where they are today, but they are rather the exception than the norm. In Europe or USA we do not need to highlight that we have female CEOs or female politicians- it is normal and does not get questioned anymore,only by a few male chauvinists who wish that everything remains as it was in the 1950ies. If you take Angela Merkel you see an ambitious,hard-working woman who has worked up her way to the top, but nobody of my friends takes a special pride in her because she is a woman. To us she is a politician like everyone else, we judge her by her actions and respect her achievements, but we would not talk about her any different if she was a man.