Saudi Princesses


If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
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.
 
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.
 
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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.
 
Saudi woman arrested for human trafficking

Prosecutors in California have charged a woman they refer to as a Saudi princess for the alleged human trafficking of a Kenyan woman.

Tony Rackauckas, the Orange County District Attorney, on Wednesday identified 42-year-old Meshael Alayban as a Saudi princess charged with one count of human trafficking. If convicted, she faces up to 12 years in prison.

Alayban was arrested after the Kenyan woman carrying a suitcase flagged down a bus on Tuesday and told a passenger of the conditions she worked in. The passenger helped her contact police, who searched the Irvine property where Alayban and her family were staying, authorities said.

The 30-year-old woman told authorities she was hired in Kenya in 2012 and her passport was taken from her on arrival in Saudi Arabia. She was forced to work excessive hours and was paid less than she was promised and not allowed to leave, authorities said.

"This is not a contract dispute," Rackauckas told the court and likened the case to slavery. “This is holding someone captive against their will."
Saudi woman arrested for human trafficking - Americas - Al Jazeera English
 
Lovely. All that money and they wont pay their servants and keep them against their will.
 
Saudi princess accused of human trafficking | Law | guardian.co.uk
Prosecutors in southern California have charged a Saudi Arabian princess with human trafficking and accused her of bringing a Kenyan woman to the United States and holding her against her will as a servant.

The accused woman, Meshael Alayban, 42, brought the Kenyan to the US in May and paid her $220 a month while holding her passport and keeping her confined to an apartment complex in Irvine, California, where Alayban lived, Orange county prosecutors said.
Alayban is a wife of Saudi Arabian Prince Abdulrahman bin Nasser bin Abdulaziz al Saud, according to the Orange county prosecutors.
 
Alayban is a wife of Saudi Arabian Prince Abdulrahman bin Nasser bin Abdulaziz al Saud, according to the Orange county prosecutors.
Judging by the name, is the husband a grandson of the first king of Saudi Arabia?
 
Lovely. All that money and they wont pay their servants and keep them against their will.

That´s true, I am also appalled by the terrible daily human rights violations in the Middle East,especially in the GCC :sad:
With all their money they could at least pay decent salaries,the migrant workers have absolutely no rights and often get abused in ways that are just too bad to even imagine enduring so much injustice and pain.
In Europe we are not that rich,but at least we make sure that cleaning women,babysitters and other low-income jobbers get a decent wage,they are not denied their human rights and dignity like in KSA,Qatar,Bahrain,UAE...
 
Well all I can say is, prosecute this woman fully. Just because she is a Saudi princess, whom by the way does not deserve the title, should not have any preference or sympathy in my opinion. What a scum bag. What a disgrace to her title. Let her think about it in jail.
 
Well all I can say is, prosecute this woman fully. Just because she is a Saudi princess, whom by the way does not deserve the title, should not have any preference or sympathy in my opinion. What a scum bag. What a disgrace to her title. Let her think about it in jail.

While I fully agree with you & would strongly support if they were stating an example with this woman to show that even rich people have to respect the law, I do not expect that a Saudi royal will go to prison....the law system is very different from our system of justice,the rich & royal usually get away with most of their actions while an average citizen will be prosecuted harshly.
Demanding her to do a lot of social service would be a good way to punish the woman who was found guilty of human trafficking, she should do the menial work that is usually left to foreign low-paid workers. It might change her mindset...
 
Who said this is a Saudi Princess? She does not look like one nor acted like one. But I guess if the word 'Princess' is added to her name by the media it sells a much better story in the US. < ed Warren > The problem is the corporate US media/publishers are comfortable in bed with the lawmakers/lawbreakers therefore they can do whatever they like because they know they get away with it. < ed Warren >
.
 
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Please stick to facts: The police report confirms that there was no physical abuse, no physical restraint, and that the complaints were about hours worked and wages paid.......Police say all of the five housemaids of the family are in good health, and at this time, there are no indications of physical abuse......

Premature judgments are not useful. We should wait, what the court finds out......

By the way, she isn´t a Saudi princess and not of royal ancestry. Only she is married with a man from the royal family, who is a diplomat in U.S.
 
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So only because she did not physically assault the women it is alright to violate laws and ignore people´s dignity and human rights?
With all your elaborate talk about moral values and the importance of treating ALL people with respect and kindness,something that you say is the most important Islamic rule,I would expect you to have more empathy with the workers? Obviously this is not the case-especially as the victims in this case are foreign women with a very different socio-economic status and background than yours...

But as you wrote correctly-we should wait for the court ruling, nevertheless everyone is free to share his/her thoughts and opinion about this case. It does not matter if somebody is born royal or not,but if the woman in the article did something wrong, she should be held responsible for her actions.

To set things straight:CNN reported that the woman is married to a Saudi prince which would make her a Princess,
even if she was born a commoner.
source: "Meshael Alayban, 42, faces one felony count of human trafficking. Court details released Thursday say Alayban is one of the wives of Saudi Prince Abdulrahman bin Nasser bin Abdulaziz al Saud"

Who said this is a Saudi Princess? She does not look like one nor acted like one. But I guess if the word 'Princess' is added to her name by the media it sells a much better story in the US. < ed Warren > The problem is the corporate US media/publishers are comfortable in bed with the lawmakers/lawbreakers therefore they can do whatever they like because they know they get away with it. < ed Warren >
Please stop advertising your own book in this forums...people who are following the KSA-thread already know that you have an issue with Jean Sasson-it would be very kind and helpful if you solved this problem with the person in charge and refrain from constantly posting such messages.
Thank you :flowers:

Just on a side note,I would like to quote what you have written in one of your books as I find it highly interesting, especially in relation to our topic,the role of money & power and how people are treated differently depending on their financial situation.

"I came away with the notion that the USA is a society where values are solemnly judged according to the amount of money involved. If you are moneyed in America, you are god-like, as is indeed written in The 48 Laws of Power. Nobody is interested in how you come to money, or make that money."
 
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I have empathy with those who avoid premature judgments. A well thought speech is better than hasty statements. Compassion can arise only where you have a unbiased look to the happening. Empathy is able to empathize with others. This immersive strategy may never happen unilaterally. I want to see things from all perspectives before judging. As long as the issue of guilty is not clarified, there can be no final judgment.

But as you wrote correctly-we should wait for the court ruling, nevertheless everyone is free to share his/her thoughts and opinion about this case. It does not matter if somebody is born royal or not,but if the woman in the article did something wrong, she should be held responsible for her actions.

Starting from the newspaper article, the dispute has its basis rather in a form of infringement of the "employment contract". Currently it seems not to be a kind of human trafficking.

Often the maids, who are working in GCC, were recruited in their home countries by negotiators. These "dealers" often promised unrealistic wages and working conditions. There you should have a first look for causes which lead to problems with the employment contracts. But as I said before, currently there is too little public insight in the actual case.
 
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I have empathy with those who avoid premature judgments. A well thought speech is better than hasty statements. Compassion can arise only where you have a unbiased look to the happening. Empathy is able to empathize with others. This immersive strategy may never happen unilaterally. I want to see things from all perspectives before judging. As long as the issue of guilty is not clarified, there can be no judgment.

Well, you are the poet so I leave the beautiful speeches to you as I do not want to challenge you in your field of reference. As a human rights activist who believes in human rights for everyone (men/women/all religions & colours) I do not speak because I want to entertain an audience,but because I am worried about certain human rights-violations that are affecting other women and men.
CNN is a well-known and respectable source of information,they have a name to lose and they would not publish gossip unless they can back it up with reliable material,especially in this case as it involves a member of a royal family.
Why do you always defend the Arab person even when there is sufficient proof that something is not quite right? I know that I come from a different background and religion,but I am not biased when I am angry that this Kenyan woman was forced to work for much less than the pay that was promised to her and that she and many other worker´s passport were taken away.That is a blatant disrespect to the law and also does not really reflect any good moral values and as Frederike Monika has already written:This is not the behavior of a Princess! I am sure that many respectable ladies and princesses in KSA are equally shocked about Meshael Alayban´s actions. It is very sad for all the royals who are acting properly and respect their staff,because the bad behavior of one person falls back on all the other family members too :sad:
The indecent actions of one princess can tarnish the reputation of the whole family and it does not shed a good light on the region if people are defending a person who has violated laws and does not seem to have any respect for human dignity and the well-being of her staff.

Often the maids, who are working in GCC, were recruited in their home countries by negotiators. These "dealers" often promised unrealistic wages and working conditions. There you should have a first look for causes which lead to problems with the employment contracts. But as I said before, currently there is too little public insight in the actual case.

That´s certainly true,some people have very naive ideas about working in the GCC and imagine that they will get rich over night,but taking away people´s passport and paying them only 200$ a month is certainly not the right way to deal with foreign workers...
 
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Why do you always defend the Arab person even when there is sufficient proof that something is not quite right?

I would do the same, if a austrian lady is the defendant. At the moment, only statements exist without specific prove. In the actual case sufficient proofs will be secured by the American court now. When the results are published we can discuss.
 
I would do the same, if a austrian lady is the defendant. At the moment, only statements exist without specific prove. In the actual case sufficient proofs will be secured by the American court now. When the results are published we can discuss.

No,that is certainly not true. Can you give me any proof for your assumptions?
 
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No,that is certainly not true. Can you give me any proof for your assumptions?

Is there any evidence for your rejection of my statement? ;) I wrote about those things that have been published in connection with the charge against the wife of a Saudi prince. I don't need assumptions. With neutrality you defend the truth and not a person......:flowers:
 
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I have read and heard many similar stories, and the outcome in 90% of them is that the housemaid makes up the stories just to stay in the United States and Europe. Many of the workers from third world countries runaway and make up stories to thinking they can stay in the US, many of them get deported back. Same in the UK. Many use to runway when they travelled with families during the summer and the government realized it was trend.

Im not blaming or pointing fingers but something is off and the article is off. The Princess is in jail till the court rules which is normal in any case, that doesn't mean she is full guilt.
 
I have read and heard many similar stories, and the outcome in 90% of them is that the housemaid makes up the stories just to stay in the United States and Europe. Many of the workers from third world countries runaway and make up stories to thinking they can stay in the US, many of them get deported back. Same in the UK. Many use to runway when they travelled with families during the summer and the government realized it was trend.

Im not blaming or pointing fingers but something is off and the article is off. The Princess is in jail till the court rules which is normal in any case, that doesn't mean she is full guilt.
The USA is very lenient toward any member of its ally. If the runaway maid just lied, the authorities would not have dragged a Saudi Princess to a court and would have settled the issue quietly.
 
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I have read and heard many similar stories, and the outcome in 90% of them is that the housemaid makes up the stories just to stay in the United States and Europe. Many of the workers from third world countries runaway and make up stories to thinking they can stay in the US, many of them get deported back. Same in the UK. Many use to runway when they travelled with families during the summer and the government realized it was trend.

Im not blaming or pointing fingers but something is off and the article is off. The Princess is in jail till the court rules which is normal in any case, that doesn't mean she is full guilt.

Well,it may be true that some people invent all kind of things for obvious reasons,but I have also met some women and male workers who have been treated very badly. Some women are lured to go to one of the rich M.E countries with the prospect of working as nannies or doing all kind of housework,but when they come to the country their passports are seized and they are forced to work under inhumane conditions,many women from Eastern European countries are even forced into prostitution!
That is not something "bad Westerners" are imagining or anything that the women would make up-no woman would like her family to know that she was forced to work as a prostitute, this is a shameful work in all societies.
Just as well as it is generally difficult to go to court and go through all the examination and questioning process, I can tell you that you would not like to be a witness in court because it is very demanding and emotionally challenging.
As imanmajid has written before,there are often very unrealistic ideas about the countries and because of the lack of knowledge many workers get exploited and end up in situations where they have to endure hardships of all kinds.
Because they are often not used to the different culture and habits,or they are having difficulties to express themselves in a foreign language,they are unable to just get on the next plane and escape like we could do in such a case. Furthermore they can´t book a flight if their wages are withheld and they are therefore very limited in their actions and freedom to move.
 
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Well,it may be true that some people invent all kind of things for obvious reasons,but I have also met some women and male workers who have been treated very badly.

Were you a witness to the poor treatment of the house staff you met? If it was only statements of persons: What makes you so sure that the events actually happened?
 
Some women are lured to go to one of the rich M.E countries with the prospect of working as nannies or doing all kind of housework,but when they come to the country their passports are seized and they are forced to work under inhumane conditions,many women from Eastern European countries are even forced into prostitution! That is not something "bad Westerners" are imagining or anything that the women would make up........

....they are often not used to the different culture and habits,or they are having difficulties to express themselves in a foreign language,they are unable to just get on the next plane and escape like we could do in such a case. Furthermore they can´t book a flight if their wages are withheld and they are therefore very limited in their actions and freedom to move.

Well, these things can happen in some cases. You described individual cases which have not generally apply to all domestic workers. I can confirm the last statement of dazzling. Some maids use a stay abroad in Western states to run away. In rare cases it´s based by previous real abuse. Mostly the maids are motivated by the desire to seek asylum in a Western country because they would not have succeeded in other circumstances (by escaping from their home countries). They want to have a better standard of living than they can have in their home countries. The employment contracts of the maids are for two years only (UAE law). After this, the women have to return to their country of origin, where poverty and unemployment awaits them, if they are not lucky enough to get a new job as a housemaid in one of the GCC states again.

About working conditions (UAE): It is expected that the maids fulfill their assigned tasks. If they can not or do not want this, so they are free to ask for an earlier dismissal. However, this has disadvantages, for example, within a specified period of time it is no longer permitted for them to work in UAE.
 
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Given the current discussion and inherent bias/partiality of each side, it remains to be seen whose lies will be more truth-looking.
 
Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said after court Thursday that the woman was subjected to “forced labor.” He likened Alayban to a slave owner.

“It’s been 150 years since the Emancipation Proclamation, and slavery has been unlawful in the United States, and certainly in California, all this time, and it’s disappointing to see it in use here,” said Rackauckas..."

....The Kenyan woman said her passport was taken from her when she left her country to work for Alayban, hoping to make enough money to cover her ailing 7-year-old daughter’s medical bills.
The 30-year-old woman, whose name has not been released, alleges she was forced to work long hours and was paid only a fraction of what she was promised.
When police searched the condo, they found four other workers, from the Philippines. The women left voluntarily with officers and told them they were interested in being free, police said.


source:Saudi princess accused of using slave labor in Calif. makes $5M bail with consulate's help - Washington Times

A BBC article with statement from the victim´s lawyer
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23282168
""My client was a slave to this woman," said Steve Barick, a lawyer for the accuser.
She wasn't able to freely move about. She had her ability to move in and about the country taken away. She was intimidated. She was promised one thing when she was in another country and when she was brought here that was changed. She was overworked. She was underpaid."


Another article-it is more in-depth with 3 pages of information on the case:
http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2013/07/meshael_alayban_human_traffick.php

From Huffington post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...udi-princess-human-trafficking_n_3576309.html
quoted from article above:The 30-year-old woman told authorities she was hired in Kenya in 2012 and her passport was taken from her on arrival in Saudi Arabia. She was forced to work excessive hours and was paid less than she was promised and not allowed to leave, authorities said.

"This is not a contract dispute," Rackauckas told the court during a bail hearing Wednesday afternoon, likening the case to slavery. "This is holding someone captive against their will."


Just a little selection of articles that have been written about this case....
 
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The USA is very lenient toward any member of its ally. If the runaway maid just lied, the authorities would not have dragged a Saudi Princess to a court and would have settled the issue quietly.

I agree that the media is biased-both the Arab media and the Western newspapers have a very different view on many topics, but the Police would certainly not question a member of a royal family unless they have reliable proof that there has been a violation of existing laws.
 
Well, these things can happen in some cases. You described individual cases which have not generally apply to all domestic workers. I can confirm the last statement of dazzling. Some maids use a stay abroad in Western states to run away. In rare cases it´s based by previous real abuse. Mostly the maids are motivated by the desire to seek asylum in a Western country because they would not have succeeded in other circumstances (by escaping from their home countries). They want to have a better standard of living than they can have in their home countries. The employment contracts of the maids are for two years only (UAE law). After this, the women have to return to their country of origin, where poverty and unemployment awaits them, if they are not lucky enough to get a new job as a housemaid in one of the GCC states again.

About working conditions (UAE): It is expected that the maids fulfill their assigned tasks. If they can not or do not want this, so they are free to ask for an earlier dismissal. However, this has disadvantages, for example, within a specified period of time it is no longer permitted for them to work in UAE.

I would like to believe that this is just an individual case,but unfortunately it is a system of crime and there is impunity in most cases because as you know,prostitution is illegal in Islam,so the victims are in a very difficult situations when they want to escape the vicious cycle of violence and injustice.
I have only chosen an article from an ARAB tv-program, but there are so many articles and reports from trustworthy organizations that are highlighting the terrible human rights violations and human trafficking in the GCC, maybe you should get your facts straight and finally accept that there are terrible things happening....

Human trafficking plagues UAE - Middle East - Al Jazeera English
 
I would like to believe that this is just an individual case,but unfortunately it is a system of crime and there is impunity in most cases because as you know,prostitution is illegal in Islam,so the victims are in a very difficult situations when they want to escape the vicious cycle of violence and injustice.

???About what we talk??? About the housemaids of a woman who is married with a saudi prince or about women who forced into prostitution????? I get the feeling, you mixed two different topics.

I have only chosen an article from an ARAB tv-program, but there are so many articles and reports from trustworthy organizations that are highlighting the terrible human rights violations and human trafficking in the GCC, maybe you should get your facts straight and finally accept that there are terrible things happening....

I am aware that the UAE, especially Dubai, have a problem with forced prostitution. But I have not talked about it nor have I denied this...... As a reminder: the topic here was about a lady, who is married with a Saudi prince, and was accused of human trafficking in U.S. because of the bad working conditions of their housemaids, mainly one of them. My statement was, that not all housemaids working under terrible conditions and that some of the housemaids use a stay abroad for run away, even if nothing bad has happened to them and there were no sign for human trafficking in their cases.

In the present case of the prosecution against the wife of a Saudi prince I pleaded to wait for results of investigation and the decision of the American court.
 
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