Category Archives: Middle East

Airport Oxymorons

17 July 2008 – 16:59

Whilst waiting for a flight at the KLIA LCCT I did hear one of the great airport oxymorons:
This is a final call for passengers on flight XY123 to Bangkok, please go to gate 3 now.
This was then followed 10 minutes later by:
Again, this is a final call for passengers on flight XY123 to Bangkok, please [...]

By thomo the lost | Also posted in Asia Pacific, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Thomo, Travel | Comments (0)

Hi Pete!

21 June 2008 – 20:53

OK - it happened - for the first time ever. I was sitting at my usual table for breakfast this morning with Kas (well, we’ve been staying here for nearly 2 years now so we have a regular table), munching on toast, chicken loaf and cheese, when a man walks past, looks in my direction, [...]

By thomo the lost | Also posted in Saudi Arabia, Thomo | Comments (0)

SMH Late With The News - Ten-Year-Old Granted Divorce in Yemen

13 June 2008 – 17:08

So today the Sydney Morning Herald ran a piece with the title of Ten-year-old granted divorce from abusive marriage which they had taken from the L A Times. Mostly the information seemed accurate (well, except for the age of the girl and one or two other things). The silliest was that this is old news. [...]

By thomo the lost | Also posted in Yemen | Comments (0)

Jeddah’s Lake

5 June 2008 – 9:23

I’ve been here in Jeddah for about 20 months now and apart from watching the shenanigans of the evil buffoons, the C-Men, I have not really got around all that much, apart from visiting the odd shopping mall. Really, it has been hotel, eat, office, eat, hotel, eat, sleep and repeat. This could, of course, [...]

By thomo the lost | Also posted in Saudi Arabia | Comments (1)

Saudi and UAE Advertising Standards

4 June 2008 – 22:39

Tonight I was watching MBC 4 here and a commercial appeared for KFC. A mother and her toddler are sitting at a table. The toddler is whining and complaining whilst the mother is trying to eat some KFC. The mother then gives some KFC to the child who is then quiet.
Goodness - would an [...]

By thomo the lost | Also posted in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Saudi Arabia | Comments (0)

Woman Wins Saudi Achievement Award for 2008

28 May 2008 – 0:27

The Arab News reported yesterday that a woman had won the Arabian Business Magazine’s Saudi Achievement Award for 2008. They then went on to note:
There was only one small problem: Al-Dossary is a woman.
Yep. Nadia Al-Dossary, the Saudi Achievement Award winner for 2008 heads an Alkhobar-based scrap metal group. The annual turnover of this group [...]

By thomo the lost | Also posted in Saudi Arabia | Comments (0)

Al-Zuman Becomes First Saudi to Conquer Everest

22 May 2008 – 16:30

Al-Zuman Becomes First Saudi to Conquer Everest - obviously he was trying to get away from the C-Men

By thomo the lost | Also posted in Saudi Arabia | Comments (0)

The Commission Does Good

22 May 2008 – 16:26

It’s been a while since I posted to the blog - my only excuse has been that I have been really busy at work and not that the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (the Ministry of Licentiousness and Lasciviousness - the infamous C-Men) have been quiet. They haven’t. As is usual [...]

By thomo the lost | Also posted in Saudi Arabia | Comments (0)

The Commission’s Been At It Again

30 April 2008 – 0:50

Those evil buffoons, the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (the Ministry of Licentiousness and Lasciviousness, the C-Men) have been at it again. Not content with beating suspects to death at their headquarters and making a mockery of Saudi justice, not content with scaring old men to death who are just [...]

By thomo the lost | Also posted in Saudi Arabia | Comments (0)

Mecca Police Busy

29 April 2008 – 0:20

The police in the Saudi city of Makkah have been very busy lately. The Arab News reports that
police patrols in Makkah have dealt with 10,744 cases and made 8,068 arrests between Jan. 10 and April 21 this year, according to figures released by the Makkah police. Of those arrested 6,508 were suspected of being involved [...]

By thomo the lost | Also posted in Saudi Arabia | Comments (0)