Road Map for the Development of Saudi Culture
Dr. Mariam Al-Oraifi, Arab News

Our preoccupation with political news over the past few weeks, whether it was the Iraqi turmoil, the Palestinian anguish from recurring Israeli incursions, the demolition resulting from the Lebanese-Israeli war or the Iranian nuclear program, should not disengage us from vital issues of concern on our domestic front.

Although we seem to have energized our economy by deploying new projects for the advance of our infrastructure developing power and water plants, railroads, ports, airports; building exquisite economic cities; constructing new universities and institutes of technology; endorsing privatization of services and encouraging foreign investment we have not yet paid enough attention to efforts to develop our Saudi culture in a way that would serve the interests of our society. Citizens do enjoy the merits of economic growth and development but they also find happiness and tranquility in resolving their everyday issues such as family conflicts, controversial social conduct and differential cultural norms that can only be determined through the advancement of education and the enhancement of the application of the rule of law.

Very interesting piece on how Saudi culture has driven itself off the highway to modernity. The writer has a tendency toward rather long, run-on sentences, but her piece is still worth reading.