I find it interesting how this Arab News piece, highlighting the flooding problems at KAUST, reference only foreign bloggers talking about their experiences. I guess there were no Saudi bloggers at the university writing it up!
In any event, construction of the university student housing seems to have been ‘less than optimal’. No word on what’s happened at laboratories and classrooms. Nor faculty or administration housing, for that matter…
Bloggers shine spotlight on campus flood
Hassna’a Mokhtar | Arab NewsJEDDAH: Students of the newly built King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) wrote in their blogs about floodwaters swamping the campus.
Blogger Richard Denny, (richarddenny.tumblr.com), reported that Nadhmi Al-Nasr, interim executive vice president of KAUST Administration and Finance, had sent out a note on the day of the rains warning everyone to stay home.
“Please note that due to the severe weather and flooding that we’re currently experiencing here at KAUST, there will be no classes and all our schools will be closed in conjunction with the offices. We’d request that you stay at home today,” Al-Naser informed the students and faculty.
Sobersaudi.com, a blog run by “Eric,” an engineering student currently enrolled at the university, described being surprised by the extent of the damage from an hours-long rainfall.
“This morning, after a rather romantic thunderstorm, all hell broke loose; along with a handful of houses,” he wrote.
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December:02:2009 - 10:21
A nice portrait of the scene at KAUST from the 3 bloggers. There are very few Saudi students at KAUST so I would imagine no or few bloggers, or they blog in Arabic and the journalist chose not to include them in the English language piece.
December:02:2009 - 11:13
About 15% of the students at KAUST are Saudi. English is the language of instruction. I don’t see any major impediments—except perhaps discretion–to a Saudi’s blogging from KAUST.
December:02:2009 - 13:23
15% Saudi students and 5% Saudi staff, so a smaller pool for blogging in any language, and then the caveats of being a Saudi guest of King Abdullah and the required discretion as you say.
The 85% other students seem to have produced only 3 blogs, or at least 3 that were cited.