Saudi teachers protest

Saudi Arabia Oil Film About US Capital Investment – Crazy! This video says about itself:

In light of today’s volatile energy climate, Desert Venture becomes a highly ironic and intensely interesting classic video about American oil production in the Middle East. A propaganda film through and through, Desert Venture seeks to lionize the American investors who came to Saudia Arabia and invested in energy at great risk. The rosy face that the narrator puts on the relationships built between Americans and “suspicious, strange people” is powerful.

This film is also one of the greatest collections of footage of 1950’s oil factories and plants in the Middle East. Stirring scenes of Saudi and American workers toiling in the heat for energy is captivating. For it’s outrageously positive tone and jingoistic viewpoint, as well as precious footage, Desert Venture is of crucial viewing importance today more than ever.

From daily The Morning Star in Britain:

Saudi teachers take to streets over lack of jobs

Monday 30 August 2010

Two hundred Saudi teachers rallied for jobs at the Ministry of Education on Sunday in a rare protest in the conservative Western-backed kingdom.

The demonstrators, mainly Arabic language teachers, demanded a meeting with Education Minister Faisal Bin Abdullah and an end to their unemployment, saying that many of them had graduated 10 years ago and were still jobless.

“I have knocked on all the doors but they keep slamming shut in my face,” said protester Ahmed Abdullah.

The teachers ignored official requests to go home and continued to voice their demands before dispersing peacefully after a few hours.

The Saudi Department of Statistics said the unemployment rate in the kingdom of 27 million has reached 10.5 per cent, but unofficial reports put the rate at closer to 20 per cent.

Almost 40 per cent of those without jobs have university degrees.

Saudi women say no to guardianship system: here.