But in Saudi Arabia these days, that two girls are willing to publicly rebel also testifies to tentative signs of a wider change in the kingdom. Rights group and critics in the west point out that the cultural reforms have been accompanied by a ruthless attempt to crush dissent. In the Saudi capital, a bastion of cultural austerity and oppression for nearly four decades, is now accepting allcomers. Saudi Arabia has taken a leaf from the playbook of its neighbour Qatar, which has built its brand partly by luring global competitions including the 2022 football World Cup. There is a culture of fear in Saudi Arabia now that wasn’t there before the reforms.

Source: The Guardian December 06, 2019 12:22 UTC