I've had the strong impression from visiting Saudi Arabia that there is a new generation of educated Saudi women who are trying to claim what they think is their proper place in the economic and social life of the country, as indeed they should. For economic reasons if no other they are gradually going to be accommodated. So what you see, as so often happens in Saudi Arabia, is the attempt to balance the progressive instincts of some parts of the society against what I would call the retrogressive instincts of other parts of the society. It's a difficult balance to manage and that's the job of the House of Saud.

Thomas Lippman
Author, "Inside the Mirage: America's Fragile�
Partnership with Saudi Arabia"

Saudi Women Are Making Strides: Crown Prince
Raid Qusti, Arab News

RIYADH, 14 April 2005 � Crown Prince Abdullah said that Saudi women have started entering the mainstream of national life and hoped that social attitudes toward them would change for the better in less than five years.

He also said Saudi Arabia is working on achieving true democracy � democracy that we want and aspire for � in the next 20 years.

Asked by a French female journalist from Le Monde newspaper when a Saudi woman would be able to meet him and conduct an interview with him, the crown prince replied: �In a period less than what you have to go through here. Saudi women have entered the mainstream. They now work in banks and in the public sector. With time, their attitudes and those of their husbands will develop and that could take less than five years.� Asked by Le Monde how Saudi women complete their higher studies, become academics, doctors, and scientists, and yet have to be under male guardianship, Prince Abdullah said: �Guardianship reflects our concern for protecting women�s rights and their dignity. At the end of the day, woman is the sister, mother, and wife.�

Crown prince�s comments were welcomed by citizens.

In the interview, the crown prince described the National Dialogue Forum as a �great achievement� saying that it brought the different social segments of Saudi Arabia together.�

We have benefited greatly from these forums. They have brought together the different segments of Saudi society that were not used to meeting one another. Saudis have now become brothers. And that itself is a great achievement,� he said.

The crown prince described terrorists in Saudi Arabia as �the enemies of Islam, humanity, and the human race,� stressing that the Kingdom is determined to eradicate terrorism even if it has to combat it for the next ten, twenty or thirty years if necessary. He also said that fighting terrorism also entailed fighting its financial roots.�

We first asked them to return to logic and sanity but they refused and continued to wreak havoc. That is why we needed to fight terrorism by means of force.�

But at the same time, we stress the importance of eradicating what terrorism feeds on � money laundering, smuggling, and drug trafficking � as we have mentioned in the Global Anti-Terror Conference,� said the crown prince.

Commenting on the UN report issued by some Arab academics on the status of democracy in the Middle East, he said: �Democracy is part of our Islamic faith. Let me ask you a question: �How old is democracy in your country? And how long did it take to reach its present stage?� We too will get there by the grace of God.�

�What is important is justice, equality, and respect of human rights. All of these elements are endorsed by our religion. Not just our religion, but all heavenly religions, whether it is mentioned in the Quran, the Bible, or the Torah,� he added.

On where he thinks Saudi Arabia will be after 20 years, Prince Abdullah said: �Only God knows. We are working on implementing true democracy, the democracy we want and wish for. I hope that can be achieved in the next 20 years.�

Commenting on the measures taken by the Kingdom to fight joblessness and poverty, he said the number of jobless people reported by the press was an exaggeration.

�The papers have inflated the number of jobless Saudis to one million. However, after investigation, it was revealed that the number was between 200,000 and 300,000. Half of them have already found jobs, and the other half consist of a segment that is not competent and has refused the jobs we offered.�

�We are not diminishing the role of the media. Its role is not just to criticize for the sake of criticism, but to push for reforms and help the unemployed find jobs,� he added.

About his expectations of his current visit to France the crown prince said that he was looking forward to meeting his friends in France, the people and President Chirac, who he described as �a dear friend�.

He commended the French leader saying he is known �for his integrity, moral values, humaneness, candidness, and warm feelings for others�.

Reprinted with permission of Arab News