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Five Key Social Reforms Under Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince

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This handout picture provided by the Saudi Royal Palace shows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) in the capital Riyadh, on December 8, 2022. – Chinese President Xi Jinping met Saudi Arabia’s powerful crown prince on an Arab outreach visit that will yield billions of dollars in deals and has earned a rebuke from Washington. (Photo by BANDAR AL-JALOUD / various sources / AFP)

The decision by Saudi Arabia to allow alcohol sales to non-Muslim diplomats, according to two sources, is the latest in a series of reforms aimed at projecting a more open, moderate image.

Here are five other headline-grabbing changes implemented in recent years under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose reputation was dealt a major blow by the 2018 murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

 Cinemas reopened

In April 2018, “Black Panther” was the first film to be shown in Saudi Arabia in 35 years when the country lifted a ban imposed on cinemas by its clerics in the 1970s.

Riyadh said it planned to open up over 300 cinemas by 2030.

Like TV programmes, films are however subject to rigorous selection and censorship to avoid portrayals of sex, religion or politics.

Women at the wheel

In June 2018, Saudi Arabia lifted a decades-long ban on women driving — the only one of its kind in the world which left women dependent on men for mobility.

 

Since 2018, thousands of women have slipped behind the wheel, with some going on to become mechanics and taxi drivers.

 

The euphoria created by the move was dented however by a major crackdown on many of the women activists who had previously campaigned to lift the ban.

Travel without male ‘guardian’

In 2019, Saudi women aged 21 or more were allowed to apply for a passport and travel abroad without first obtaining the consent of a male “guardian” — husband, father or other male relative.

The move marked a significant loosening of the controversial guardianship system, under which men exercise near-total authority over women.

 

Tourists welcome

In a bid to reduce its reliance on oil revenues and diversify the economy, Saudi Arabia in September 2019 began opening up to tourism — its so-called “white oil” — for the first time.

 

Until then Saudi Arabia had only issued visas to Muslim pilgrims, expatriate workers, or, from 2018, people attending sporting and cultural events.

Prince Mohammed a year earlier had announced a massive tourism project to turn 50 islands and a string of sites on the Red Sea into luxury resorts.

Tourists who flout the country’s rules on modest attire risk heavy fines however.

 Gender mixing

Long forbidden, men and women have in recent years been allowed to mingle in public.

Women were allowed enter a football stadium to watch a match for the first time in 2018 and can now also attend concerts alongside men.

They also no longer need fear the stick-wielding guardians of public morality in order to bathe together at some beaches, and rules on the wearing of abaya robes have been relaxed.

Women, who had previously been restricted to a handful of careers, mainly in health and education, now also rub shoulders with men in the workplace.

Millions of women have entered the job market since 2016, becoming  bankers, shoe sellers, business owners and border officers, among other professions.

 

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Butcher Allegedly Hacks 25-Year-Old Wife to Death in Ekiti

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A 25-year-old woman has allegedly been hacked to death by her husband, a butcher, during a domestic dispute in the Dalimore area of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

The incident reportedly occurred on Wednesday when the couple went to the residence of a friend of the deceased’s father, who had offered to mediate in their unresolved marital dispute.

According to sources, the situation, which was initially intended to settle the couple’s differences, turned violent after an argument reportedly broke out between the husband and his wife.

The butcher was alleged to have attacked his wife repeatedly with a machete, leaving her with severe injuries.

She reportedly died from the injuries sustained during the attack.

The suspect was said to have fled the scene immediately after the incident, while the victim’s remains were reportedly taken away.

Speaking on the incident, a cousin of the deceased, identified as Yusuf, alleged that the woman had been planning to leave the marriage after becoming suspicious that some of her clothes and underwear were disappearing from the house.

Yusuf said the deceased had planned to travel to her sister’s residence on Thursday, September 10, as part of her plan to leave the marriage, but told her husband that she was going to her sister’s place for work.

He alleged that while she was preparing to leave Ado-Ekiti, the wife of her father’s friend invited her to the residence, informing her that her husband wanted to see her.

According to him, the woman went to the residence on Wednesday morning, unaware that her husband would also be there.

Yusuf said an attempt to resolve the couple’s differences subsequently degenerated into a physical confrontation, during which the suspect allegedly attacked the deceased with a machete.

He added that some people had been taken into police custody in connection with the incident, while the whereabouts of the suspect remained unknown.

Yusuf also alleged that the suspect fled with the deceased’s mobile phone, which the family believed could contain information that might assist the police in their investigation.

“We want him to be found and arrested. We want justice for our daughter. Her parents are in pain, and my family is in serious agony. She didn’t deserve this,” he said.

As of the time of filing this report, the Ekiti State Police Command had yet to confirm the incident.

The circumstances surrounding the woman’s death and the whereabouts of the suspect could not be independently verified.

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Oyo: Oseni Sympathises With Oranyan Traders Over Market Fire‎

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‎The All Progressives Congress (APC) Senatorial Candidate for Oyo South, Hon. Aderemi Oseni has commiserated with traders and business owners affected by the fire that gutted parts of the popular Oranyan Market in Ibadan North-East Local Government Area of Oyo State.

‎The fire, which occurred on Sunday night, reportedly destroyed several shops and goods, leaving affected traders to count losses running into millions of naira.

‎Among the businesses affected were jewellery shops, furniture outlets, second-hand clothing stores and other shops within the market.

‎Oseni, who is currently representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, in a statement by his Media Aide, Idowu Ayodele and made available to journalists in Ibadan, described the incident as “unfortunate and painful”, noting that the victims had suffered a major setback to their businesses and livelihoods.

He said the losses were particularly devastating because many of the affected traders had invested their hard-earned resources in their businesses and depended on them to provide for their families.

‎“I deeply sympathise with the traders and business owners who lost their shops, goods and other valuable properties in this unfortunate incident. Losing the fruits of years of hard work to fire is a painful experience,” Oseni said.

‎The APC chieftain urged the affected traders not to lose hope, saying efforts should be made by relevant authorities and well-meaning individuals to support them and help them recover from the disaster.

‎He called on the relevant government agencies to assess the extent of the damage and consider appropriate measures to assist the victims, stressing that “the affected traders should not be left to bear the burden of the disaster alone.”

The Chairman, House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) further urged market leaders and relevant authorities to strengthen fire prevention and emergency response measures, including the provision of functional firefighting equipment and ensuring easy access for emergency responders.

He said the incident should serve as a reminder that “more attention must be given to fire prevention and safety measures in our markets to prevent avoidable loss of lives and property.”

‎The lawmaker prayed for strength and comfort for the affected traders and their families, urging them to remain united and hopeful as they begin the difficult process of rebuilding their businesses.

‎He added that the losses suffered by the traders were “not merely about goods and shops, but about livelihoods built through years of sacrifice and hard work,” assuring them of his sympathy at the difficult moment.

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Two die as speeding truck, bus collide on Sagamu-Ore Expressway

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Two persons lost their lives while two others escaped unhurt in a road crash involving a truck and a commercial bus at Ogbere Junction along the Ogbere/J4 corridor of the Sagamu/Ore Expressway in Ogun State on Thursday.

The Federal Road Safety Corps said the accident occurred around 5:10 a.m.

The Ogun State Sector Command Public Relations Officer, Afolabi Odunsi, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, noting that the crash involved a white Mack truck with registration number ABC 660 XC and an orange Peugeot J5 bus with an unknown registration number.

Odunsi said four adult male occupants were involved in the accident, adding that two of them died while the other two escaped without injuries.

He attributed the crash to route violation and excessive speeding.

According to him, the impact of the collision caused the Peugeot J5 bus to burst into flames, leaving its front section completely burnt.

He added that FRSC rescue operatives arrived at the scene within two minutes of receiving the distress call and immediately began rescue and traffic management operations to prevent further accidents.

“Officials diverted traffic to an alternative carriageway to minimise congestion while efforts were made to clear the wreckage from the road,” Odunsi said.

He added that officers of the Nigeria Police Motor Traffic Division, Ogbere Division, evacuated the bodies of the deceased and deposited them at a nearby mortuary.

Reacting to the tragedy, the Ogun State Sector Commander, Corps Commander Oludare Ogunjobi, sympathised with the bereaved families and urged motorists to obey traffic rules to avoid needless loss of lives.

He warned drivers against speeding and route violations, especially during periods of poor visibility and on wet roads, stressing that reckless driving remains one of the leading causes of fatal road crashes across the country.

The FRSC also reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring safer highways through sustained enforcement of traffic laws, public enlightenment campaigns and prompt emergency response to road crashes.

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