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Wednesday 21 October 2009 (02 Dhul Qa`dah 1430)

Remittances frightening

ANEWS report about the huge remittances made by expatriates in the Kingdom over 10 years totaling SR616 billion went unnoticed as if it was a news story about the donation of blankets to some disaster-stricken... Full Story


Why do we close our schools for 266 days a year?

Students in Japan study 243 days a year, which is the longest school year in the entire world. In Sweden, however, students attend school only 170 days a year, making it the shortest school year in... Full Story


181 love messages = 70 flogs

The Arabic language is rich in synonyms. Perhaps that is what prompted the famous Egyptian writer, Abbas Mahmoud Al-Aqqad, to call it the “poetic language.” There are of course other reasons for this... Full Story




The need for birth control

I WAS one of the first people who wrote about the necessity of birth control and the perils of population growth. I wrote this nine years ago in the daily Okaz. What I wrote then was considered a deviation... Full Story


Fear of change

Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal recently asked in an article whether our universities would be liaising with King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST). He also asked whether our... Full Story


The descendants of the companions

When foreign workers first come to Saudi Arabia, they consider us the descendants of the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him), that we are the best of God’s creatures and we are immune from... Full Story


Planes with shaded windows

About half a century ago, Malaysia was a backward, poor and disunited country while Afghanistan was a civilized, rich and united nation. Malaysians and Afghans were known to be very religious. However,... Full Story


Unreliable consumer statistics

A news report released recently claimed that last year Saudis spent about $1 billion on the purchase of shumaghs (the male head dress) — including 16 million sold on Eid night alone. According to the... Full Story