Saudi Times: An Authentic Portrait of Saudi Arabia

The Jeddah lighthouse on the Red Sea, overlooking the entrance to the city’s main port in Saudi Arabia.

The Red Sea Story Behind Saudi Arabia’s Oldest Global Ties

Long before oil transformed Saudi Arabia, the Red Sea’s ports linked the region to global networks of trade and culture. In Jeddah and Yanbu, maritime routes carried goods, ideas, and people across continents — shaping societies that were far more connected than modern stereotypes suggest.

by Dahlia Rahaimy | 11th Dec 2025

Single suitcase on a polished airport floor near large terminal windows.

What Is Deportation and How Does It Work in Saudi Arabia?

Deportation in Saudi Arabia can feel opaque from the outside, yet it remains a vital part of how the kingdom manages immigration and public order. For expatriates living and working in the country, understanding how the system functions—its procedures, penalties, and the possibility of return—offers clarity in a landscape often shaped by strict rules and fast-growing expectations.

by Dahlia Rahaimy | 10th Dec 2025

Updating Saudi Arabia’s Image, One Joke at a Time

Saudi Arabia’s latest tourism campaign does something rare: it laughs at the clichés that once defined it. With dry humour and quiet confidence, it shows a country telling its own story on its own terms.

by Dahlia Rahaimy | 7th Dec 2025

What is the size of Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Arabia is enormous — and the Kingdom’s scale explains far more than its place on a map. It shapes how Saudis travel, how regions evolved culturally, and why development across a landscape stretching from the Rub’ al-Khali to the Red Sea requires both ambition and patience.

by Dahlia Rahaimy | 3rd Dec 2025

Courtney Freer, a scholar of Gulf politics and Islamism, smiling while seated in an office setting during an academic interview.

Beyond Oil: Courtney Freer on Islamism, Nationalism, and Saudi Arabia

Islamism, nationalism, and the shifting politics of the Gulf are often treated as disconnected themes. Yet Dr. Courtney Freer, a political scientist at Emory University, argues that these forces intersect more deeply than outsiders assume. In her conversation with Saudi Times, she explains how the Muslim Brotherhood, state-led nationalism, and new forms of Gulf identity continue to shape the region — far beyond the familiar narratives of oil and security.

by Dahlia Rahaimy | 2nd Dec 2025

Minimalist red-and-beige illustration showing a Saudi man walking from an oil pumpjack toward a modern office building, symbolising Saudi Arabia’s transition from oil-based work to skill-driven service jobs.

The Quiet Revolution in Saudi Jobs

Work in Saudi Arabia is undergoing a quiet but profound shift. Jobs that once guaranteed security, status, and a desk in a ministry are giving way to roles that demand skills, adaptability, and competition. The change is economic, but also social: careers now shape identity, ambition, and mobility in ways that previous generations never had to consider.

by Dahlia Rahaimy | 25th Nov 2025

View of the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s white geometric buildings set over turquoise water, with the museum’s dome behind them, seen on a clear Gulf morning.

Museums and Memory: Why the Gulf’s Cultural Turn Matters for Saudis

The Gulf is rethinking culture. In his ICOM Dubai address, Zaki Nusseibeh — Cultural Advisor to the UAE President and Chancellor of UAE University — captured a growing regional conviction: museums are no longer quiet repositories of memory but active forces shaping identity, belonging, and the pace of change. For Saudi Arabia, that shift could not be more timely.

by Dahlia Rahaimy | 21st Nov 2025

Tourist taking a photo in a residential area of Riyadh with the city skyline and mosque minaret in the background, illustrating photography rules in Saudi Arabia.

What Are the Rules for Tourists Taking Pictures in Saudi Arabia?

Photography in Saudi Arabia is far more relaxed today than most visitors expect, but the country still draws a quiet line between openness and personal privacy. Understanding these unwritten norms helps tourists capture the Kingdom with confidence and cultural ease.

by Dahlia Rahaimy | 19th Nov 2025

A minimalist illustration on a red background showing an open book, an artist’s palette with a paintbrush, and an oud placed side by side, symbolising literature, visual arts, and music in Saudi culture.

Alzahrani’s Argument for Culture as a National Resource

Culture is moving from the margins of Saudi life to the centre of its public conversation. As Dr. Hatem Alzahrani recently argued, investing in creativity is becoming a way for the country to understand itself — not just an economic choice, but a social shift many Saudis now feel.

by Dahlia Rahaimy | 18th Nov 2025

From Oil to Offices — and Beyond

Saudi Arabia is moving from government jobs to skill-driven service work, reshaping expectations around careers, opportunity, and social acceptance.

by Dahlia Rahaimy | 13th Nov 2025

Digital illustration of a Saudi city skyline emerging from desert dunes, with wind turbines and solar panels symbolizing the country’s shift from oil to renewable energy.

What Drives the Saudi Economy Today?

For decades, oil powered Saudi Arabia’s rise — shaping its economy, cities, and global role. Today, that dominance is slowly giving way to a new vision: one built on diversification, innovation, and opportunity across sectors from tourism to renewable energy. Saudi Arabia’s transformation is visible not just in its mega-projects but in the changing rhythm of its economic life.

by Dahlia Rahaimy | 12th Nov 2025

Off-road buggy carving through desert dunes, trailing sand and dust — a visual echo of Saudi Arabia’s enduring fascination with cars, speed, and open space.

From Drifting to Discipline: The Changing Face of Saudi Car Culture

Cars in Saudi Arabia are more than transport—they’re identity, rebellion, and freedom on four wheels. From late-night drifting in Riyadh to Lucid’s new EVs, the nation’s roads reveal a deeper story: how speed became both a symbol of control and escape in a society still finding its balance.

by Dahlia Rahaimy | 11th Nov 2025

DAHLIA RAHAIMY

The author

My name is Dahlia Rahaimy, and I founded SaudiTimes to shed light on a society often viewed through stereotypes. The platform aims to provide a balanced, well-researched insights into Saudi Arabia, exploring the cultural complexities of a nation in transformation.

Born in Vienna and raised across Germany, Jeddah, and living in Dubai, I bring a lifetime of cross-cultural experiences to my work.

Far from a personal blog, SaudiTimes is rooted in journalistic discipline. It digs into the intrcacis of Saudi society, challenging preconceptions and fostering meaningful dialogue. I aim to offer an authentic glimpse into Saudi society – its foundations, its present realities, and the forces shaping its future.

Beyond my work on SaudiTimes, I am a wife and a proud mother of a daughter and a son.

THE AIM OF SAUDITIMES

My features, analysis, stories, interviews, and pictures of Saudi Arabia and society create an understanding of Saudi Arabia in the Western world.

DISCOVER SAUDI ARABIA

My writings deliver authentic, detailed, and local information to help you understand all aspects of Saudi society.

The Red Sea Story Behind Saudi Arabia’s Oldest Global Ties

What Is Deportation and How Does It Work in Saudi Arabia?

Updating Saudi Arabia’s Image, One Joke at a Time

What is the size of Saudi Arabia?

Beyond Oil: Courtney Freer on Islamism, Nationalism, and Saudi Arabia

The Quiet Revolution in Saudi Jobs

Museums and Memory: Why the Gulf’s Cultural Turn Matters for Saudis

What Are the Rules for Tourists Taking Pictures in Saudi Arabia?

Alzahrani’s Argument for Culture as a National Resource

From Oil to Offices — and Beyond

What Drives the Saudi Economy Today?

From Drifting to Discipline: The Changing Face of Saudi Car Culture

Saudi Arabia

DAHLIA RAHAIMY

The author

THE AIM OF SAUDITIMES

DISCOVER SAUDI ARABIA

DUBAI

JEDDAH

FRANKFURT

The Red Sea Story Behind Saudi Arabia’s Oldest Global Ties

What Is Deportation and How Does It Work in Saudi Arabia?

Updating Saudi Arabia’s Image, One Joke at a Time

What is the size of Saudi Arabia?

Beyond Oil: Courtney Freer on Islamism, Nationalism, and Saudi Arabia

The Quiet Revolution in Saudi Jobs

Museums and Memory: Why the Gulf’s Cultural Turn Matters for Saudis

What Are the Rules for Tourists Taking Pictures in Saudi Arabia?

Alzahrani’s Argument for Culture as a National Resource

From Oil to Offices — and Beyond

What Drives the Saudi Economy Today?

From Drifting to Discipline: The Changing Face of Saudi Car Culture

Saudi Arabia

DAHLIA RAHAIMY

The author

THE AIM OF SAUDITIMES

DISCOVER SAUDI ARABIA

DUBAI

JEDDAH

FRANKFURT

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