Saudi society in labyrinth of cyberspace and electronic media

 
PIIS032150750012793-4-1
DOI10.31857/S032150750012793-4
Publication type Article
Status Published
Authors
Occupation: President Emeritus of IAS RAS
Affiliation:
Institute for African Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences (IAS RAS)
Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University)
Address: Moscow, 30/1, Spiridonovka Str., Moscow, 123001, Russian Federation
Journal nameAsia and Africa Today
EditionIssue 12
Pages15-18
Abstract

Development of TV and Internet is changing general and political culture of the Saudi citizens. The Kingdom is the most conservative country in the Middle East. The number of iPhones per 1000 citizens put the Kingdom on the third place in the world. And the government seeks ways and means to filter the information available for the users in electronic mass media and in the cyberspace forbidding penetration of the opposition political views, criticism of the huge royal family, disagreement in the Wahhabi doctrine or just critical views towards Wahhabi ulemas. The government created a gigantic proxy-server in the KingAbdulazizCity for Science and Technology which uses a firewall against both political and moral “inappropriate” information.

 

But if censorship of TV is more or less effective, the anti-regime information can penetrate through the firewall of KACST. It has turned the cyberspace into a field of virtual confrontation of the regime and all kinds of opposition movements.

The Saudi cyberspace has become a sort of a virtual “parliament” as well as an instrument for peers relations, business communications and entertainment. But the most important problem for the regime is to keep the ideological differences in the limits of “appropriate” discussion what is becoming more and more difficult in the light of growing economic stagnation, low prices for oil and international conflicts.

 

 

The kingdom during its existence for more than a century could overcome the challenges for its survival. For the time being only future will show how the kingdom could resolve its today difficulties.

KeywordsSaudi Arabia, cyberspace, electronic mass media, regime and opposition, firewall, censorship
Received09.11.2020
Publication date09.12.2020
Number of characters17333
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