Raha Moharrak, a 27-year-old Saudi graphic designer, reached the summit of Mount Everest over the weekend. Her amazing feat was part of an expedition called "Arabs with Attitude," which includes Qatari Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani, Palestinian Raed Zidan and Iranian Masoud Mohammad. All members are aiming to the first of his or her nation to reach the top of the mountain. Moharrak revealed humble feelings about her impressive accomplishment. ... Read More

It’s about time! School girls in Saudi Arabia can now participate in organized sports without breaking any laws. The Saudi government announced it this month: private girls’ schools are allowed to hold sport activities in accordance with the rules of Sharia law. The country’s officials had previously tolerated some physical education in a few of these schools, but there's been no set curriculum and no outright endorsement of the ... Read More

  Wadjda (Waad Mohammed) is a straight-up badass. Under her traditional Saudi Arabian garb, the 10-year-old girl rocks Chuck Taylors, and her cassette player (yeah, she's that cool) screams indie rock from Grouplove.  All Wadjda wants is a bike, so she can race her friend Abdullah (Abdullrahman Al Gohandi), a boy from the neighborhood. Despite being constantly reminded that "girls don't ride bikes," Wadjda hustles money left and ... Read More

In a progressive and unprecedented move, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has sworn 30 women into the Shura Council.  The Council, a previously all-male body, is in charge of advising the king on issues that affect Saudi Arabia. King Abdullah amended the council’s statute last month by requiring that 20 percent of the 150 members be women.  King Abdullah’s female appointments mark the first time in Saudi ... Read More

[Trigger Warning: This post contains a description of sexual and physical assault that may potentially be triggering for survivors of such abuse.] A Saudi preacher in the city of Riyadh, imprisoned for the murder of his five-year-old daughter, may be looking at an unthinkably light sentence for his crimes. Fayhan Al Gamdi, a Muslim cleric who often appears as a guest on TV networks, confessed to the deadly beating and rape of his young ... Read More

  IKEA has been under fire this past week after it was revealed that they had airbrushed all the women out of the images in their annual catalog for IKEA Saudi Arabia. They have since apologized and expressed their “regret” for the situation, telling the Associated Press, "We should have reacted and realized that excluding women from the Saudi Arabian version of the catalog is in conflict with the IKEA Group values." The ... Read More

  It started with Saudi Twitter user Sultan Al Hilali, who posted a hash tag that translates as “Prostitutes of the Olympics.” Some tweeted in support of the vile phrase, but supporters of Saudi Arabia’s first two female Olympians flocked to the rescue, drowning out their ignorant and misogynistic words of hatred. It’s no secret that it hasn’t been smooth sailing for Wojdan Shaherkani (Judo) and Sarah Attar (athletics), ... Read More

Though it's long overdue, this week we can celebrate the announcement that, after years of international pressure, Saudi Arabia will most likely send female athletes to the 2012 Olympic games in London. Furthermore, a female Saudi Arabian sports commentator, Reema Abdullah, revealed that she'll get to carry the Olympic torch. Saudi Arabia, which has never sent women to the Olympics, met with the International Olympics Committee (IOC) last ... Read More

  5 women were arrested for driving in Saudi Arabia, after almost two weeks of a hands-off approach by the authorities. Did they just have a delayed reaction, or did the Saudi religious police hesitate because they thought women would get bored of increased autonomy and independence? Four young women were arrested in a single car being driven by one of them in the Dorat Al Aroos area of Jeddah yesterday morning. The religious police, ... Read More

Saudi Women for Driving, a coalition comprised of Saudi academics, bloggers and activists, are putting pressure on leading car manufacturers to pull out of Saudi Arabia until women have the right to drive. They have approached Subaru first because it is heavily marketed at women and sponsors women’s surf festivals, triathlons and ski events as well as the Outstanding Woman in Science Award for the Geological Society of America. The ... Read More