Riz Khan

Saudi Arabia: Fundamental change?

We look at King Abdullah’s political and social reforms and the challenges he faces.

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is pushing forward with political and social reforms in his country, but do those changes go far enough?

Under his leadership, women have enjoyed more opportunities in the workforce and the press has more freedom of expression. 

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But critics say crippling restrictions still remain: Women are still not allowed to drive, the media cannot criticise the government, and no real progress has been made towards ending discrimination against the Shia Muslim minority.

Millions of migrant workers and their families are also denied basic rights.

On Tuesday’s Riz Khan, we will be discussing those issues with Lama al-Sulaiman, the first woman in Saudi Arabia to hold the position of deputy chairman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Also joining us are Wajeha al-Huwaider, an activist and co-founder of the Association for the Protection and Defense of Women’s Rights in Saudi Arabia, and Dr Ali Alyami, the executive director of the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia.

This episode of Riz Khan aired from Tuesday, October 19, 2010.