[NickC25]

>While not perfect, Saudi has very clearly moved "Westernly" on many ideas, most notably social and economic ones.

My man, they can kill you for drawing a stick figure.

Let that sink in.

SA is still a single-export economy, and those who are smart enough to get out of SA, do so. From personally having very close relationships with a few folks who worked on the NEOM project, the Saudi locals are not prepared to do any work at all, just spend money and export the work to consultants. It's about posturing, not rolling up their sleeves.

[sleepybrett]

The kingdom literally butchered a journalist for writing about what they were doing. Islamaphobia about sharia law bullshit doesn't even apply.

[NickC25]

Yeah. They don't have a good track record, and that's before the (partially justified) Islamophobia kicks in.

Before anyone thinks I'm Islamophobic, I equally detest and mock all religion.

I do find it funny that if there is an afterlife, Abraham is there, and absolutely befuddled as to why all of his disciples seem to hate each other and want to kill each other.