Saudi

Jun 16, 2011

The Making of “Desert Seas”

“A behind-the-scenes look at what it was like working on the new National Geographic documentary, Desert Seas” a natural history documentary featuring Saudi Arabia’s two seas; the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, produced by Icon Films and underwritten by Saudi Aramco.”

I cannot wait to see this, the greatness of National Geographic and the unseen places around Saudi… glad to see something other than Madaen Saleh on the map and in pictures… well this time on video

Jun 10, 2011

Saudi Solar Energy

Qusay Saudi, Tech 0 Comment

I am extremely glad to read this piece of information, Saudi Arabia plans to be the Saudi Arabia of Solar Energy. Which says that Saudi Arabia will export energy to Europe

This means that solar would make up the other 80% of energy demands that the nuclear plants won’t make.

According to Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi “Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, has the potential by 2020 to produce enough solar power to meet more than four times global demand for electricity”

More solar energy falls on the Earth each day than the total amount of energy the world consumed in the last 25 years, and there were plans to build solar arrays in the North African Sahara for Europe to use, but that requires a huge investment, and seeing how things are going there now… and who has the capital investment to actually carry it out, I am even happier to see Saudi invest the money this way.

I really think that this is really ambitious, 2020 is 9 years away… I hope it happens, I pray that it does.

Wait… Why then are we building nuclear plants for 20% of our projected demands when we would have power to export? To be better than the Joneses across the gulf? Or to keep some nuclear engineers and operators employed?

Jun 10, 2011

Women Selling Lingerie in Saudi

Qusay Culture, Saudi 2 Comments

It is official now, women will be selling lingerie in Saudi, and not just in closed off for women’s only shops like they currently do. That comes out at the same time “no mixing of sexes at workplaces is allowed” by the the religious council, which basically means (to me) that lingerie shop employees (men and women) should not work together, since it would be a huge problem to stop that at hospitals (as an example) now.

I know the council seems to have said otherwise (not at pharmacies, or schools, or production lines… etc, which is almost non existent).

The question I have now is… Who will get the sole right to franchise Victoria’s Secret… and will the angels ever appear in Saudi?

Jun 1, 2011

Saudi Arabia Nuclear Reactors

Qusay Saudi 1 Comment

It is official, to meet the energy demands of a new Saudi Arabia, Saudi is going with nuclear power.

My feelings on this, I hate it. My engineering mind knows that there are no alternatives that can meet the energy demand, solar would be an alternative but it is still in its research and development phase, which of course Saudi is taking part in by investing in a solar-powered desalination plant with IBM, it is a pilot plant, which is meant to showcase if the technology works or not, I hope it does.

We have no great waterfalls or dams to create electricity, wind might be an alternative also, but still, how many wind turbines would be needed to power a whole country?

Having said that, I cannot believe that 16 nuclear plants would only provide 20% of the electrical demand, I though it would’ve been more than that.

It is mostly a question of how quick and how reliable the energy source can be built, we cannot continue to use more oil, especially that reserves are depleting. Efficient alternatives to oil are yet to discovered, that’s why R&D efforts are going on to recover oil from shale oil and oil sands.

There is no other efficient source of energy such as oil, one with multiple uses, one which can move tons of goods and materials in a truck for the same amount of distance/gallon, that makes it precious, and since it is the only thing Saudi Arabia can profitably produce, Saudi needs to use less oil, so it can sell more of it.

I still hate that fact, I hate it a little more since I wanted to be a nuclear engineer back then, now I wish I had chosen one of those majors where little work is involved and more money and prestige is gained… aahhhh life…. when are you ever going to go my way?

The other sad thing… some of the Homer Simpsons of the world will now make a lot of money coming here.

May 31, 2011

Best 10 Pictures of Jeddah

Qusay Saudi 7 Comments

Last post was the old pictures of Jeddah, this post, it is the new pictures. I am disappointed that we do not have many pictures of modern Jeddah, taking pictures in the city seems somewhat troublesome. I would love to take more pictures, but there is always some type of construction going on which would ruin an otherwise nice picture (I know excuses, excuses, excuses)

There is the other fact of being harassed by police, I haven’t had any problems (knock on wood) but I feel a bit apprehensive whenever I takeout my camera… I am getting over that fear… now just looking for the best oppurtunities (ok, I will stop making excuses)

Here are the best pictures of Jeddah which I found on flickr and devianart, surprisingly, for a city that lives directly on the Red Sea, very little waterfront pictures (with boats) can be found, an investment in that type of city-scaping would make a fortune, I wonder why no one has done anything about it.

Best Pictures of Jeddah

May 30, 2011

Old Pictures of Jeddah

Qusay Saudi 12 Comments

I received these pictures in my email, and wanted to share them on the blog.

Aerial View of Jeddah and The Wall in 1938

Jeddah Cemetery 1918

Legend has it, that Eve, our mother Eve from Adam and Eve, was buried in Jeddah, and so the burial ground was called what it has been called.

Now there are no more marks on the graves, they have all been removed, the cemetery is still in operation.

Jeddah’s Sea Port 1918

It is now something else (see this post)

Hajjis in Jeddah’s Port in 1906

That has changed also, most Hajjis now come in planes, and busses if the country is not to far away.

Bab Makkah 1918

The door leading to the old Jeddah Makkah Road

Africans Camp

I had no idea this existed until I got these pictures

Bab Sharif

It makes sense that women covered up with white back then.

First Desalination Plant

I heard my grandfather worked there for a while.

Bab (Door of) Makkah 1906

Bab Al Madinah 1918

The door leading to Madinah, my grandmother told me it used to take them ten days to travel from Jeddah to Madinah, now it takes four hours.

The French Consulate and Military Station 1917

The old wall surrounding the city is also seen in this picture.

The British Consulate in Jeddah in 1917

I don’t think those blokes in the picture are British.

Customs Building 1947

Jeddah Non-Muslims Cemetery 1947

This no longer exists, unless I never heard about it.

Water Distribution Point

Alkandarah Palace Hotel

No longer the flashy place it once was.

I hope you enjoyed this little travel back in time.

May 26, 2011

Saudi Arabia: Public Consensus On Women Driving

Qusay Culture, Saudi 3 Comments

As much as I would like the restriction on women’s driving in Saudi to be lifted, I know it is not the public consensus, most do not want women to drive, even among families with women who want to drive, that applies to my own family and extended family.

To deny that fact, and to say it is otherwise, would be myopic.

It is a roller coaster to say the least.

Taking a look at the educational system changes which happened around ten years ago when, and only administratively, girls schools were joined under the administrative umbrella of the Saudi Ministry of Knowledge (previously it was a standalone Presidency of Girls Education) the talk of the town then was this is a first step to make schools mixed, add to that now they approved the teaching of boys as far as the third grade to be taught in mixed private schools, and adding English as early as the fourth grade in the Saudi public education system, and you know that those who have been fighting against this are telling everyone they know - we told you so.

In Egypt, and during the recent elections to change the constitution, most of the active Egyptian Facebook users changed their profile pictures to NO, and since this recent Egyptian revolution is being widely hailed as a social networking revolution, people thought the NO would be the majority.

The voters showed up, the majority voted for YES, showing that if you take what is on social networks in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, or anywhere where not everyone has access to the internet (even via public libraries) as the voice of the people… Well, I wouldn’t make any major decisions on that.

Culture is, what culture is. Any sudden movements or changes will, and most of the time it does, cause a re-curling into “the old ways”… If you don’t believe me… Then you better ask somebody, but don’t ask the guy who approved breastfeeding the driver.

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